One Missed Strike: The New Jedi Order
by Davin Sunrider
Summary: (NJO AU) The line can no longer be held. Twenty-one years after the historic Treaty of Alderaan, war has come to the galaxy once again...
1. The End of Peace

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><p><strong>One Missed Strike<br>The New Jedi Order**

Prologue

_The slightest change can alter the flow of the universe in unimaginable ways. Every day, decisions and chance events large and small send the universe into divergence, millions of parallel realities where, because one small thing goes differently, the entire course of history changes and life continues in radically altered ways on diverging paths._

_A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, two men fought one another on a small volcanic planet._

_Those men were Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, who had until the previous day been known as Anakin Skywalker. The planet was known as Mustafar._

_Kenobi and Skywalker were the greatest heroes of the Clone Wars, formerly Master and Apprentice, and up until that day, they were the best of friends, close as brothers._

_Because of a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious and his own fear and anger, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, fell to the Dark Side of the Force and became Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith._

_Kenobi and Vader fought a vicious duel around the small facilities at Mustafar, surrounded by flowing molten rock. At the end of their duel, Kenobi managed to get the high ground and gain an advantage over his former apprentice. Vader advanced anyway, and in one universe, paid the price for his hubris with the loss of three of his limbs to Kenobi's blade and his skin and lungs to the fires of Mustafar. He became as a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, encased in a walking coffin in a terrible half-life where every day was filled with pain and his only purpose in life was to do his master's will._

_But this is not the story of that universe._

_Though neither of them knew it, Kenobi's final strike in the duel at Mustafar was a point of divergence. The universe itself split in that moment, following dual paths born from that one fateful instant._

_In this universe, Kenobi missed the final strike of the duel, and so Darth Vader escaped Mustafar unscathed. He went on to slay Darth Sidious and claim the Empire for himself, and so he ruled the galaxy for more than twenty years as Emperor. A Rebellion was ignited, and for the last few years of Emperor Skywalker's reign, he fought a bloody civil war with the Rebel Alliance, which ended in a tremendous battle above Naboo, where Grand Admiral Thrawn and the crew of the _Executor_ fought alongside the Alliance against the mutinous armada assembled by Ysanne Isard. Simultaneously, Vader fought a duel on Korriban with Darth Nova, his treacherous Sith Apprentice._

_When the battle was won and his apprentice destroyed, Darth Vader took his flagship _Executor_ and left known space, leaving behind a message to his family that he felt that he had done too much to be forgiven, and so would trouble them no longer._

_Baron Soontir Fel, commanding the Imperial superweapon _Eclipse_, turned the tide of the Battle of Naboo in the Alliance's favor. When the battle was over, he was instructed by Lord Vader to prepare the remnants of the Empire for the war they both knew was coming with an invading force known only as the Far Outsiders. After a brief but furious war with the remnants of Isard's conspiracy, Soontir Fel assumed the mantle of Emperor, and under his leadership, the Empire settled into an uneasy peace with the New Republic, the government formed by the Alliance._

_The Jedi Order was rebuilt by Luke Skywalker, his wife Mara, his sister Leia, and Malysa Kolos, who were, at the time of the Battle of Naboo, the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy. Over twenty years, their numbers bolstered by many former Sith and potentials discovered all over the galaxy, Luke Skywalker's New Jedi Order gradually swelled to over a thousand members, restored as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy._

_The Treaty of Alderaan marked the beginning of a period of relative stability in the galaxy. No major wars were fought for more than twenty years, though the New Republic and the Empire both had their share of crises to deal with, and civilization prospered, catching its collective breath._

_But beyond the borders of civilization, a war is brewing, a tremendous conflict the likes of which the galaxy has never seen. For those same twenty years, men, women and aliens have fought and died by the millions in the vast, unexplored area of space called the Unknown Regions against an enemy so different from any fought before that they are almost incomprehensible._

_And gradually, as the numbers of the enemy swell with each passing year and each new arrival of more of their enormous worldships, the defenders are being pushed back._

_The line can no longer be held. Twenty-one years after the historic Treaty of Alderaan, war is about to come to the galaxy once again…_

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><p><strong>One<br>**(The End of Peace)

Ex-Gal Outpost 4 on Belkadan seemed an unlikely place for a battle. Designed as a listening post in hopes of discovering life outside the galaxy, Ex-Gal 4 was mostly a quiet, serene place to work. The scientists there went about their work in peace, never suspecting any kind of trouble.

That was why Danni Quee, nominal leader of the scientists gathered on Belkadan, was so badly startled to find a Super Star Destroyer in her sky when she awoke one morning.

Danni ducked back inside her quarters, leaving her dropped caf mug on the ground outside, and ran over to the comm unit. "What's going on?" she asked, calling the main installation.

"_We don't know!_" came the panicked reply from Lysire Donabelle, one of the scientists there. "_It didn't even show up on sensors until it entered orbit!"_

Danni frowned, pushing some of her loose blonde hair back behind her ear. "How is that even possible?" she asked incredulously. "It's a Super Star Destroyer, not a stealth fighter!"

"_Well, don't ask me!"_ Lysire replied. "_I don't know what's going on, either!"_

"Have they sent us any messages?"

"_Nothing_."

Danni looked out of the window at the monstrous dark shape draped across the early morning sky. "I'll be right there."

[...]

When Danni arrived in the main building, she found it filled with white-armored Imperial Stormtroopers all holding blasters on the scientists.

"You there!" one of the troopers barked, swiveling towards her. "Get over there with the others!" He stepped forward, grabbed her by the sleeve of her tunic, and shoved her towards the rest of the scientists.

"Have they said anything about why they're here?" Danni murmured to Yomin Carr, a tall human man standing next to her.

"Nothing," Carr replied. "They have only asked how many of us there are, and where the others are at this time."

"Quiet!" the commanding trooper snapped. "Keep your hands where we can see them!"

"Listen," Danni said, looking over at him, "I don't know who you think we are, but this is a scientific outpost. No one here is a spy. All our equipment is for monitoring the edge of the galaxy."

The commander walked over to her, his blaster rifle still up and raised. "What part of 'quiet' don't you understand?" he growled. "When I want you to speak, I'll ask you a question."

Danni fell silent, her hands still raised, and looked around at the others. The rest of the scientists seemed scared and confused, all except for Yomin Carr, who just seemed angry.

The stormtroopers may as well have been statues, remaining perfectly still with their blasters held on the group of scientists. The monitoring room fell completely silent, the only audible sounds the breathing of the scientists and the occasional rustle as someone shifted position.

Finally, the silence was broken by the sound of heavy, forceful footsteps approaching. Danni glanced up as the sound of armored boots drew closer, and gasped involuntarily at the sight of the ominous figure that strode through the door.

He was huge, nearly two meters tall, and completely encased in black armor with dark gray highlights. A long, wide cloak hung from his shoulders to the floor, made of some heavy fabric so black that it seemed to drain the light from the air around it. But what held Danni's attention was the helmet, a nightmarish death's-head, from which echoed deep mechanical breathing.

"This is everyone?" the enormous armored figure inquired in a deep basso rumble.

"Yes, my lord," the stormtrooper commander replied. "Preliminary scans reveal no other sentient life aside from this outpost."

"So, they have not yet arrived here," the black-armored giant said thoughtfully, swiveling his skull-like mask to regard the group of scientists. Black lenses hid his eyes, but Danni could sense an immensely powerful will behind the dark stare he passed over them. "What of the unusual readings we recorded in the atmosphere?"

"The effect is not yet widespread, my lord," the commander said. "It can still be reversed."

"Good," the dark figure rumbled. "We may only have to deal with a small scouting party."

Next to Danni, Yomin Carr had been slowly lowering his hands. His teeth were clenched, and she was startled to recognize pure, burning hatred in the glare he fixed upon the black-armored man. She had never seen such an extreme emotion in the normally reserved man before, and she found it more than a little frightening.

The death's-head suddenly snapped back over to look directly at her. For a long moment, Danni and the armored man locked eyes, the only sound his deep, regular breathing. She felt as if a tremendous burning furnace, with all the roiling fury of a sun, shone upon her mind, laying her bare to her very core. Only when he broke eye contact did she realize she was trembling.

"That one," the dark man said, pointing a gloved hand at her.

"What are you doing?" she gasped as two stormtroopers grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the group. "Let me go!"

She struggled, but the armored troopers calmly kept their grip, holding her back.

The dark man's black cloak shifted around his heavy boots as he slowly walked forward, passing his masked gaze over the rest of the scientists. Yomin Carr trembled also, but with barely controlled fury.

Without any warning whatsoever, the dark man lashed out with one gloved hand and struck Carr with a balled fist, knocking him back against the wall.

The others gasped, pulling back away from the dark man, but Carr had already leaped to his feet, screaming unintelligibly in a language Danni did not recognize.

The armored giant calmly sidestepped his charge, moving with surprising speed, and snatched a gleaming chrome cylinder from his belt. With a loud _snap-hiss_, a sky-blue blade of shining energy flared into being.

Carr reached into his tunic and pulled out what at first appeared to be a coiled whip, but when a head full of fangs stirred from one end, Danni realized it was some kind of snake-like creature she'd never seen before.

The armored man raised his left hand, and from his fingertips surged a stream of crackling purple-blue lightning that impacted Carr with enough force to knock him back off his feet.

Danni's mind whirled. What was going on here?

Carr snarled something else in the foreign language, but the silent black specter only lashed out with more lightning, knocking him back to the floor. Yomin's skin seemed to ripple under the sparking onslaught, shifting over his bones, and, unable to help herself, Danni screamed.

"What are you doing?" she shouted at the dark man. "We haven't done anything!"

"This man is not who he appears to be," the dark man said grimly, continuing to pour lightning from his fingertips into Yomin Carr's body. The dark mask swiveled to regard her for a moment. "Observe."

As Carr lay helplessly twitching on the floor from the lightning, the dark man reached down and pressed one gloved finger into the area beside Carr's nose.

Danni watched, horrified, as Carr's skin rippled and shifted, then split entirely away and shifted down into his collar. But underneath it was a second skin, grayish, and covered with tattoos and scars, the black hair coarse and cut short.

"What… what is that?" Danni gasped, pulling back reflexively.

The dark man trod on the shifting flesh-colored blob that pooled on the floor next to Carr's body, sending another bolt of lightning into it. "His people call it an ooglith masquer," he said, his deep voice still oddly calm but for a slight note of disgust. "It serves as a disguise."

As Carr stirred, the dark man flicked his shining blue lightsaber down and almost casually thrust the tip into his heart. Danni and several of the other scientists screamed.

The dark man stepped between her and the body, hiding the corpse behind his sweeping black cloak. "Are you frightened, girl?" he said darkly, leaning forward slightly to bring his death's-head mask closer to her face.

Danni could only nod frantically. She could see her reflection in the black lenses, and it struck her that she looked even more terrified than she felt.

"You don't know what fear is," the dark man rumbled. "You think me a murderer?"

Danni nodded again, slower this time.

"Believe me when I say this man would have slaughtered every one of you without a second thought." The black-armored man straightened, the dim glowpanels overhead reflecting in the gleaming black curves of his helmet. "He was not a man, but a monster. Look again."

He stepped aside, and Danni saw again the horrific scars and tattoos covering Carr's face. The basic structure of his face was the same, but his true face looked more fierce, almost… bestial. Despite her horror, Danni's inner curiosity made her wonder what Carr had used as a disguise, if it was a living creature or some form of technology she had never seen before.

"What are you going to do with us?" Lysire asked, fear in both her eyes and her voice.

"I will let you go," the man replied, surprising Danni. "You may report this to whatever government sponsored this expedition."

"What about Danni?" asked Jerem Cadmir, one of the other scientists.

The obsidian-black helmet turned to fix the man with a cold stare. "She stays here."

* * *

><p>"Play the message again," said Mara Jade Skywalker, leaning back in her chair in the cockpit of her ship, the <em>Jade Sabre.<em>

Her apprentice Jaina Solo leaned across the control console, some of her long dark brown hair slipping over her shoulder as she did so, and keyed the distress signal they had picked up a few minutes ago to play.

"…_ysire Donabelle of Ex-Gal-4.…per Star Destroyer, no expl…illed one of the scientists, Yomin Carr, but Danni says they're…bolasers. Request imme…Repeat, this is Lysire Donabelle of…"_

"Did you get any more out of it that time?" Jaina asked, looking over at her aunt with her brandy-brown eyes.

Mara shook her head. "Too much static. All I caught was something about a Super Star Destroyer and turbolasers; I can't tell what the Imperials are doing there."

"Me, neither," Jaina agreed. "But, we're the closest Jedi to Belkadan; we can be there in only a few hours."

Mara made her decision. "Our mission can wait. Plot the jump. I'll get a message ready to send back to the Temple before we leave."

Jaina nodded once as she bent to her task.

When they were both finished, as the sleek _Jade Sabre_ leaped into hyperspace, Mara turned to her niece. "So what do you think the Imperials are doing this far out of their territory?"

"I'm not sure," Jaina replied. "Belkadan is almost on the complete opposite end of the New Republic from the Imperial border. What I want to know is how they got a Super Star Destroyer this deep into our space without us knowing about it. They aren't exactly known for their stealth capabilities." She drummed her slender fingers on the hilt of the lightsaber at her side. "And what are they even doing sending a ship that big into New Republic space, anyway? I thought our government was on good terms with Emperor Fel right now."

"Maybe Emperor Fel didn't send it," Mara offered, looking over at her apprentice. "There are still a few rogue warlords running around here and there." She frowned. "Though last I heard, all Super Star Destroyers were accounted for and under either Imperial or New Republic control. That's not the kind of ship you let your average would-be conqueror run around the galaxy with."

"I can think of one that's not accounted for," Jaina said, her voice oddly subdued.

Mara felt her mood sink, as well. There was indeed at least one Super Star Destroyer whose whereabouts were unknown, one that hadn't been sighted in civilized space in more than twenty years.

She glanced sidelong at Jaina. "You want to say it, or should I?" she said wryly.

Jaina nodded, the smallest of smiles quirking one corner of her mouth. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she said with only a trace of humor.

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><p>In the quiet master bedroom of his family's apartment in the Royal Palace on Alderaan, Han Solo groaned sleepily as he rolled over in bed and slapped blindly in the general direction of his nightstand before finally activating the insistently buzzing comm.<p>

"Whoever this is, you should be glad I don't sleep with a blaster under my pillow anymore," he growled, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"_I'm sorry to wake you, General Solo, but this is important._"

"It better be," Han said, blinking slowly. He squinted at the tiny figure on the comm's screen, barely visible in the soft glow. "Well, out with it already."

The New Republic comm officer shifted nervously. "_I've been instructed to ask you and Master Solo to report to the Chancellor's office as soon as possible. There's a possible… situation concerning the Empire…"_

"Say no more," Han said, considerably more awake now. "Nobody ever calls us this early with _good_ news about the Empire. We'll be there in half an hour at most." He reached over and terminated the connection.

He turned to wake Leia, but even as he did, he felt her weight shift on the bed, then heard her soft footsteps crossing the carpeted floor towards their closet.

"Are my pants over there somewhere?" Han called as he dropped back against the pillow, well used to these early-morning panics after twenty-odd years in the military and government.

Leia replied by lobbing them over so that they landed directly on his face.

"Very funny," he said as he sat up and tossed the pants on the sheets next to him. "I thought Jedi Masters were supposed to be dignified," he said playfully over his shoulder as he stood up.

Leia leaned around the closet door with an equally playful smile on her face, her long brown hair swinging out with the movement. "Only if they're not married to scoundrels," she said with a grin.

Han grinned back. "Then I guess you're in real trouble, sweetheart." He pushed the fingers of one hand back through his unruly hair, looking around for his boots. "Do you think you could use your Jedi mind powers to get Anakin to start a pot of caf while I'm in the shower, or is that too much to ask from a teenager?"

"I don't think even the Force could wake him up at this hour," Leia said, ducking back into the closet. "Let him sleep."

"Lucky him," Han said as he padded toward the 'fresher.

[...]

"Is there some kind of Jedi trick to never looking like you just got dragged out of bed?" Han quipped to Luke Skywalker as they met him in the hallway outside the Chancellor's office several levels down in the Royal Palace.

The kid looked entirely too perky for this hour of the morning, bright and alert in tan and brown robes, his wavy sandy-blond hair no more mussed than it usually was. At his side, Han's eldest son Jacen was similarly entirely too composed, dressed in robes of a darker, earthy brown and forest green. Luke smiled at Han's comment.

"Here you go, Dad," Jacen said, producing a steaming mug of caf from a low table that had been hidden behind him by the drape of his outer robe.

"You're a good son," Han told him as he accepted the mug. He took a long drink and sighed happily; Jacen had even added the spices he liked. "You're definitely my favorite."

Jacen grinned, and it was almost like looking at Han's own reflection thirty years ago. How was he eighteen already? "You're only saying that because Jaina and Anakin aren't here," Jacen said, absently flicking a lock of his tousled brown hair out of his eyes with his thumb.

"Nah, Anakin's right out," Han said before taking another sip. "He never gets me caf in the mornings, and Jaina never puts in enough sugar." He grinned over the rim of the mug.

Jacen chuckled, but any reply he might have made was cut off by one of the Chancellor's aides opening the door and saying, "She's ready for you now."

Han filed in behind his wife, son, and brother-in-law, heading right for his favorite chair in front of the carved-wood desk at the rear of the large, sumptuously appointed room. As could be expected, Chancellor Amidala maintained her office in the style of her home planet, Naboo. As a result, everything was large and ornate but surprisingly comfortable.

Sitting at her desk, perusing a report on her datapad, the Chancellor herself wore a reserved but probably expensive dark blue gown, her hair as elaborately arranged as ever - which meant she had either never gone to bed, or had the galaxy's fastest hairstylist.

Leia, dressed as usual in white robes, lowered herself gracefully into the next chair in front of her mother's desk and patiently waited for her to finish.

It still seemed odd to Han how similar and yet different his wife and her mother looked. Due to the bizarre circumstances of her revival, Padmé and her daughter appeared to be roughly the same age, but even Han had to admit that was hardly the strangest thing about the Skywalker family.

After only a moment's pause, Padmé looked up at them and smiled tightly. "Thank you for coming at such short notice," she said. "I've just finished my preliminary briefing by New Republic Intelligence, and it looks like we may have a major situation in the Tingel Arm, near the Corporate Sector. A Super Star Destroyer has been spotted in that sector, and its forces have invaded at least one planet. Director Drayson has more details."

Han hadn't even noticed there were other people in the office as he entered. He took a sip as he turned to watch the head of NRI move to stand next to the Chancellor's desk. Also here was Admiral Ackbar, Supreme Commander of the Republic fleet. Though the Mon Calamarian admiral was getting on in years, he still looked as sharp-eyed and dignified as ever.

Hiram Drayson, a trim Chandrilan man in his mid-sixties, set his datapad on the edge of the Chancellor's desk and activated the desk's built-in holoprojector, which flared to life to display a grainy, long-distance image of a Super Star Destroyer in orbit above the night side of a planet.

"This image was sent to us three hours ago by subspace from Lando Calrissian's mining colony on Dubrillion," Drayson began, "along with a description of the circumstances of its capture. This unidentified SSD appeared in orbit above Belkadan three days ago and captured the outpost there. The Imperial commander let all but two of the scientists go, and they fled to the nearest subspace-capable outpost to report it."

"Belkadan?" Han said. "Never heard of it."

"Unsurprising," Drayson replied. "The only thing of note there is an Ex-Gal research station."

"What use could the Imperials have for one of their monitoring stations?" Jacen said, frowning thoughtfully. "All their equipment is meant for looking outside the galaxy for other civilizations. It would take extensive recalibration to use it to spy on the New Republic."

Leia nodded in agreement with her son. "Besides, Emperor Fel has no reason to send a ship of that size on a mission like that. He's never shown any interest in what happens on this side of the border unless it concerns the Empire. I don't think he's responsible."

"I agree," Drayson said with a quick nod. "We're most likely dealing with a rogue officer. What concerns me most is how this commander got a ship of that size across the New Republic without anyone noticing." He looked over to Luke. "Also of concern is this report by the scientists that the commander of the ground troops used a lightsaber. He was also described as wearing black armor, including a helmet that completely covered his face." He consulted his datapad. "It says here that one of the scientists described the helmet as having 'a face like a black skull', obviously designed to intimidate."

"A Sith?" Luke said in surprise. "But I didn't think any of the ones who left had managed to take any Super Star Destroyers with them."

"They didn't, and he probably isn't a Sith," said Drayson. "The scientists said his lightsaber was blue, not red."

"So he probably isn't an Imperial Knight, either," said Luke. "All of them carry silver lightsabers, even the officers."

Drayson nodded. "Also, the only person he or his troops killed was one of the scientists who was apparently some sort of alien masquerading as a human. This alien attacked the commander, and so the commander killed him."

"Alien?" Jacen said, his expression suddenly going very serious. "Did the scientists say what this alien looked like?"

Drayson looked at the datapad again. "Humanoid, with grayish skin and black hair. He was covered with tattoos and what appeared to be ritual scarring, and also had in his possession some kind of ophidian creature that he used as a weapon."

"It's called an amphistaff," Jacen said grimly. "The man this rogue Imperial killed was a Yuuzhan Vong agent."

Drayson peered at him sharply through the floating image of the rogue Imperial ship. "You are sure?"

"I've made the information my father left for me on the Far Outsiders required study for upper-level students," Luke said. "Like my father before me, I've been preparing for the Yuuzhan Vong invasion for a very long time."

Drayson sighed. "To tell you the truth, Master Skywalker, I had been hoping to myself that you were simply being over-cautious. I have to admit I didn't think the Vong would ever actually show up."

"Well, now we know who this lightsaber-wielding Imperial is," Han said, reaching forward to place his now-empty mug on the edge of the desk.

As he leaned back in his seat, it became apparent to Han that everyone in the room was staring at him.

"Oh, come on!" he said, spreading his hands. "Who else do we all know that has a lightsaber, stormtroopers, a great big Star Destroyer, and would have no hesitations about poking them around in Republic space without asking first? Do I gotta spell it out for you?"

The room remained silent for a few moments longer as the Chancellor exchanged glances with both her son and daughter. Jacen did not look up when Han looked over at him, instead remaining quiet with one hand on his chin, deep in thought as he stared without seeing at the top of his grandmother's desk.

"If that is the case," Chancellor Amidala said softly, obviously focused on keeping her composure, "we will have to proceed very cautiously."

An aide quickly entered the room, heading straight for the desk. "Madame Chancellor," the young woman said, "we've just been relayed this message from the Jedi Temple. Master Horn said we would want to see it."

"Play it," Padmé said, gesturing to her desktop.

The blonde-haired young woman keyed in something on her datapad, and the holoprojector display switched from the mysterious Super Star Destroyer to the head and shoulders of Mara Jade Skywalker.

"_This is Master Jade Skywalker_," she began. "_My apprentice and I have received a distress signal from the Ex-Gal outpost on Belkadan, and we are putting our mission to Telos on hold to investigate. Our next report will be within eighteen Standard hours. Jade Skywalker out."_

"This was just received by the Temple?" Drayson asked the aide.

"Yes sir, just a few minutes ago," she replied.

"Then Mara's already in hyperspace," said Luke. "We won't be able to contact her and Jaina until they arrive."

"Even if we could, I would have her do exactly what she's doing," said Ackbar, moving forward to stand next to Drayson. He looked at Luke. "This is an excellent development, Master Skywalker; your wife can scout out the system for us while we organize a task force to deal with this situation."

"I don't mean to step on your toes, Admiral," Han said, leaning forward in his chair, "but sending half the Third Fleet to Belkadan may not be the best idea, especially if this SSD belongs to who we think it does."

"You would suggest a different strategy, General Solo?" the Mon Cal admiral asked curiously, swiveling his fish-like eyes to regard Han.

"Maybe something a bit smaller," Han answered. "Even with all the ships we've got in range of that sector, I'd think twice about taking on a Super Star Destroyer - particularly if it's _that_ one, which more than likely has some backup." He gestured to his wife and brother-in-law. "I suggest we take a fast, heavily armed ship like the _Falcon_ that can get out of the system in a hurry if we need to, and can back up Mara if she needs help. Don't get too many of our people involved until we know for certain what's going on."

"I agree," said the Chancellor. "We'll make it a Jedi mission; Master Skywalker will command." She looked over at her son. "You have until Master Jade Skywalker sends her next report to gather your team and any necessary supplies. I want you ready to leave as soon as she checks in or within eighteen hours, whichever comes first."

Luke stood and inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, Madame Chancellor," he said.

In the hallway outside as they left to go begin preparations, Luke drew up beside Han as they neared a turbolift. "Off on a mission together," he said with a slight smile. "Just like old times."

Han frowned as they stepped inside. "Think it's gonna go that bad, do you?"

"No," Leia said with a wry smile, glancing up at both of them as she waited for the doors to close. "It'll be worse."

Han shrugged. "That seems to be the way Skywalker luck runs. There are days I wish I didn't know you people." He grinned teasingly at Leia.

She reached up to kiss Han's cheek, then slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow and rested her head against his shoulder. "There are days _I_ wish I didn't know us, either."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the <em>Jade Sabre <em>dropped smoothly out of hyperspace on the edge of the Belkadan system, well out of range of the Super Star Destroyer's sensors.

Mara concentrated on her instruments and on the Force, positioning her ship for just the right angle of entry. She intended to loop around the system's sun and so approach Belkadan with the star behind her, preventing her ship from showing up on the Imperial vessel's sensors through all the radiation emanating from the roiling stellar furnace.

But all her plans faded away as she felt the powerful Force presence emanating from the planet, one she knew only too well. And she knew from the twinge in the Force that, despite the extreme distance, her arrival had not gone undetected.

From the look on her niece's face, Jaina had felt it, too. "Is that coming from just one person?" she said incredulously.

Mara nodded silently, trying to think of what to do now. If he knew they were here, what would he do? Would it be best to just turn around and leave now?

"It feels sort of like Uncle Luke," Jaina went on. "Only… not as controlled. More… fierce."

"Darker," Mara said grimly, noting that the Super Star Destroyer was launching fighters.

She leaned back, deciding to stay. She could easily evade the fighters with the agile _Jade Sabre_, but the Force had guided them here for a reason. Much as she didn't want to, it appeared it was time for Mara to face her old master again.

Mara looked over at Jaina. "That's what Luke would feel like in the Force if he didn't keep himself under control," she said. "If he used the Dark Side."

Jaina's eyes widened. "You mean that's…"

Mara nodded resignedly. "After twenty years, Darth Vader has finally returned."

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><p>-\-

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><p>Author's Note: This is where the fun begins! I've been working on this for over a year now, and it's finally ready to start posting. Updates may be a little slow at first, since I have another large story I've been putting off finishing to work on this, but once I get going I intend to maintain a steady pace of one chapter per week. I have all kinds of awesome stuff planned for this story, so I hope you guys are ready. :D<p>

This is a sequel to my earlier AU retelling of the Original Trilogy, '_One Missed Strike'_ Parts I-III. Whereas those stories were somewhat short - we'll say movie-length - consider this more akin to a TV series, with every four chapters forming one 'episode'. Thanks for reading!


	2. Unexpected Guests

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* * *

><p><strong>Two<strong>  
>(Unexpected Guests)<strong><br>**

Jedi Master Malysa Kolos stood at the edge of one of the training courtyards spread over the wide, grassy field south of the Jedi Temple, watching the students sparring there with their lightsabers.

The exercise field was framed on one side by majestic white mountains, their peaks eternally capped with snow, and on the other by the Temple itself, its graceful, cathedral-like spires stretching up toward the peaceful blue sky. Here on the outskirts of Aldera City, traffic and noise were nonexistent, allowing one to pretend the Temple was alone amidst the breathtaking scenery of Alderaan instead of only a few kilometers away from the New Republic's center of government.

Noise was _almost_ nonexistent, Malysa corrected herself amusedly, watching as her apprentice Ami Skywalker raised her golden-yellow lightsaber and leaped with a playful shout of challenge at fellow student Tahiri Veila, who angled her own saber, the same color as her friend's, to intercept. The students' colorful blades were dulled somewhat by the safety shields they had engaged, but still they shone like two sunbeams against the brilliant blue sky.

Ami's red-gold hair whirled around her head as she spun and whirled, constantly in motion, always pressing at her opponent's defenses. Malysa had attempted to teach the daughter of the Masters Skywalker some of the more traditional lightsaber forms, but Ami was unfortunately both sixteen years old and as stubborn and strong-willed as her parents combined - which meant she was exuberantly determined to invent her own style, based on unpredictable motion.

Frankly, Malysa didn't see how the girl wasn't sick after each practice session, what with all the spinning and flipping she did, but Ami was full of youthful energy and this was as good a way as any to spend it.

Ami's boots and Tahiri's bare feet slapped against the pressed duracrete of the training courtyard, neither pausing in any one place longer than a fraction of a second. Malysa allowed herself a smile as she watched the girls spar; once they further developed skill and discipline, both of them would someday be lightsaber masters, she was sure.

Malysa turned slightly when she sensed an approaching presence through the Force, and smiled as she recognized her fellow Council member Tionne Solusar.

Tionne returned the smile, her gaze turning to the sparring youngsters. Her flowing pearlescent robes stirred in the gentle breeze, shifting around her legs as she stood in companionable silence next to Malysa, watching their apprentices exchange saber strikes and acrobatic leaps and flips.

"I don't remember ever being young enough to do that," Malysa remarked amusedly, and Tionne laughed, a rich, musical sound.

"I find their exuberance refreshing," the silvery-haired Jedi Master replied, still smiling. "They will make great Jedi Knights someday."

Malysa's smile slowly faded. "That 'someday' may have to come sooner than either of them expects," she said grimly. She turned to look Tionne in the eye. "Have you heard?"

Tionne nodded once. "Vader is rumored to have returned," she replied. "The news is all over the Temple. If the Sith Master has truly returned to known space, it cannot bode well for the New Republic."

"Master Skywalker is organizing a mission to investigate the situation at Belkadan," Malysa said. She gestured toward their apprentices, who had now ceased their sparring and were approaching, perhaps having sensed their Masters' troubled thoughts. "I had just come out to tell Ami that we've been assigned."

"Might Tahiri and I come as well?" Tionne asked. "I have never met Darth Vader, and if it is truly he who commands this rogue Super Star Destroyer, I should like to, if only to better understand him."

Malysa weighed this. Tionne was the historian of Luke Skywalker's new Jedi Order, and her prevailing mission was to reconstruct as much of the destroyed old Order's history as she could. On one level, Malysa could certainly understand Tionne's desire to see the man who had helped destroy it, a man she had studied extensively in order to understand why he would betray his principles, everything he believed in, and war against his former comrades. On another level, however, having actually spent time with him herself, Malysa knew how volatile Darth Vader could be; his temper was dangerously unpredictable.

"If Master Skywalker has assigned his own daughter to the mission," Tionne pointed out, "he must not judge the danger to be too great."

Malysa smirked amusedly, glancing over at her apprentice as she approached. "More likely, he knew it would be impossible to keep her away, so he's keeping her where he can keep an eye on her," she said teasingly.

Ami's blue eyes glittered in amusement. "He would be right," she replied with equal teasing, nudging Tahiri with an elbow, "as some of our adventures have proved." Tahiri grinned.

"I wouldn't be too proud of that," Malysa said in mild reproval. "The ability to sneak away from one's Master and get into trouble is not a trait praised in Jedi."

Ami merely smiled in a way best described as 'obnoxiously innocent', as Malysa privately called it. She was quite familiar with this expression, having encountered it often on both Skywalker children and their mother.

Malysa raised one eyebrow to let her apprentice know she wasn't fooling anyone, but otherwise let it go. "Come on; we're due in the briefing room. Where's your brother?"

Ami cocked her head to the side, her eyes unfocusing slightly as she stretched her senses into the Force. "Ben's with Anakin." Her brows drew together as she concentrated. "They're not far from here, but they're moving _very_ quickly. They're in a speeder, maybe?"

A flicker of motion far off in the distance attracted Malysa's attention, and she focused on it with Force-enhanced senses. A moment later, she sighed, half in amusement and half in annoyance. "Now why does this not surprise me at all?"

* * *

><p>"I still don't think this is a good idea, Anakin!" Ben Skywalker shouted to his cousin over the howling wind. His red-gold hair fluttered in his eyes, so Ben turned his face into the wind so that it would blow his hair back out of his face.<p>

At the other end of the Temple speeder truck's flat cargo bed, Anakin Solo grinned rakishly. "Master Horn said to go practice with our lightsabers," he said with impish amusement, a gleam in his ice-blue eyes. "We're practicing."

"I don't think he meant in the back of a moving speeder!" Ben shouted back, bringing up one hand to shield his face.

"We're Jedi!" Anakin countered. "We're not always going to have the luxury of fighting on solid ground. Now, are you gonna spar with me, or are we gonna have this argument a couple more times?"

After a moment, Ben grinned himself and ignited his sky-blue lightsaber. He reached up with one finger and pressed another button near the emitter, and the blade's vibrant color dulled slightly as the safety shield engaged.

Anakin ignited his own indigo lightsaber, and after a moment's frown letting Ben know he thought he was being over-cautious, engaged his own safety shield. With a challenging cry, he suddenly spun, bringing his blade low towards Ben's knees.

Ben caught the wide, curving slash on his blade, deftly backstepping and then moving forward in an overhand slash of his own.

Anakin did not retreat, and they traded a rapid series of blows before Anakin pressed forward and they locked blades.

Ben strained to hold his cousin back, but of the two of them, Anakin was the stronger, physically. Ben spread his feet, grimacing as their crossed blades came slowly, inexorably toward his chest.

"That's what you… get for spending more… time in the library than the… fitness center," Anakin said teasingly, his voice taut with effort.

Ben replied by suddenly shifting his weight to the side and spinning to the left. As Anakin stumbled forward, Ben stepped past him and twisted into a back-flip that took him up to the top of the speeder truck's cab. He landed solidly on his feet, weaving a bit unsteadily as the autopilot took the truck through a wide turn, and grinned challengingly down at his cousin.

"Fight smarter, not harder," Ben said, quoting an oft-repeated lesson of Anakin's Jedi Master, Corran Horn. He spread his arms. "Now what are you gonna do?" he said playfully.

Anakin lowered his lightsaber to his side, his legs tensing as he prepared to leap.

"Ah-ah," Ben said in mock-reproval, pointing the tip of his lightsaber at his cousin. "Don't try it. I'll just slap you right back down and you know it."

Anakin cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?" he said with a fierce grin. "Sure about that, are you?"

Sure enough, Anakin took two running steps forward across the cargo bed and hurled himself into a twisting flip meant to carry him over Ben's head and onto the hood of the speeder truck's cab.

And sure enough, midway through the flip, Ben slammed his lightsaber into the side of Anakin's knee, and his cousin tumbled heavily back into the bed, nearly spilling out as he rolled with his momentum. His lightsaber bounced out, but before it had even hit the ground, Anakin called it back to himself with the Force, and it slapped solidly into his upraised hand.

"I _told_ you," Ben sang triumphantly, grinning obnoxiously.

In reply to _that_, Anakin leaped to his feet and sent out a gentle Force push, just enough to knock Ben off balance, and then leaped up in one bound to the roof of the cab, swinging his lightsaber as he landed.

Ben barely regained his footing in time to angle his blade defensively, squinting through the wind and the brightly glowing blades. Anakin shifted to the side, obviously intending to position himself in place to shove Ben back into the cargo bed, but it was at that moment Ben noticed something odd about their course through the meadow.

"Anakin," he said slowly, staring over his cousin's shoulder, "what course did you program into the autopilot?"

"A big loop from the garage a couple klicks into the fields, and then back to the Temple," Anakin answered. "Why?"

Ben narrowed his eyes. "Where, exactly, in the Temple?"

Anakin's brows rose curiously. "Why?" he said again.

"Because it looks like we're headed directly into the wall, that's why."

Anakin half-turned, looking over his shoulder at the quite rapidly approaching south wall of the Jedi Temple. "Whoops." He looked back at Ben. "What do we do?"

"Hitting the brakes might be a good idea," Ben said dryly.

Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and cuffed his cousin on the shoulder. "Thanks," he replied with equal sarcasm. "I'd have never thought of _that_."

He clipped his lightsaber to his belt, leaned down to grab the edge of the speeder truck's roof, and swung his legs in through the open window. Ben closed down his own lightsaber and returned it to its place on his belt, then crouched on the cab's roof for greater stability.

Anakin leaned his head out of the window, the wind whipping at his hair. "Um, maybe see if you can slow us down a little," he said, a trace of nervousness giving speed to his words.

Ben stretched out a hand, half-closing his eyes in concentration, and gathered the Force to himself. He imagined a pair of giant hands, one pulling on the back of the speeder truck, the other pushing it backwards from the front, and focused on shedding as much momentum as he could.

He felt the rumble of the truck's engine fade away as Anakin, apparently unable to disengage the autopilot, opted to just turn the whole thing off. Ben focused on slowing them down even more, and soon the vehicle coasted gently to a stop.

Ben sensed strong disapproval, and opened his eyes to find Jedi Master Corran Horn, dressed as always in dark green robes, standing in the three-meter space between the speeder truck's front bumper and the smooth white stone of the Temple's wall, a frown on his face beneath his thick brown beard.

"I believe my exact words to you boys were, 'go outside and practice with your lightsabers until I call for you.'" Master Horn said, glaring first at his apprentice, then at Ben. He brought up a hand to stroke the lower edge of his beard in exaggerated thought. "I don't recall anything about going for a joyride."

Anakin opened the driver's door and started to get out. "Now, before you get mad-"

"Too late," Master Horn snapped. "You have exactly ten seconds to explain why I shouldn't put both of you on kitchen duty peeling tubers for a week."

Anakin flashed his most disarming grin, inherited right from his father. "We were making sure our skills were honed to their fullest," he said, glancing back at Ben for assurance.

"Yes," Ben said, hopping down from the roof of the speeder truck. "Jedi don't always have the luxury of fighting on solid ground, you know."

Corran stared at both of them, unamused, for a full five seconds before speaking again. "Uh-huh," he said, sounding entirely unconvinced. "I assume you damaged the guidance controls when you forced your way past the autolock," he said, gesturing to the speeder truck. "Which is why you were about to plow into the wall there." He shook his head, half-smiling. "I suppose I should have known what I was getting into when I agreed to take on the son of Han Solo as an apprentice." He gestured off towards the nearest entrance to the Temple. "Come on; you two have been called to the briefing room. We'll deal with this later."

"Nice going," Ben said under his breath to Anakin as they followed Master Horn. "I can't wait to tell the others how you nearly crashed us into a wall because you couldn't program the autopilot right."

"Oh, shut up," Anakin said crossly, though a hint of a smile quirked one corner of his mouth.

* * *

><p>Masters Skywalker and Solo were already waiting in the Temple's main briefing room with Jacen and Han when Malysa, Tionne, and their apprentices arrived. They were gathered around the central holoprojector, which displayed an image of a Super Star Destroyer in orbit around a planet.<p>

"You'll love this," Han said by way of greeting to Malysa as she and the others entered. "Not only is Emperor Fel claiming he doesn't have anything to do with this, he wants to send one of his Star Destroyers to 'escort' us on our mission."

"How comforting," Malysa said dryly. "Why not the entire Fifth Fleet for added security? They can park it around Alderaan for a few weeks to really keep the peace."

Han chuckled, and even Luke cracked a slight smile. Malysa heard Ami's amused snort behind her.

"All indications so far point to this SSD operating without Fel's approval," Leia said. "If this really is the ship my father took with him to the Unknown Regions, then the Emperor has just as much reason for concern as we do." She looked around the room at her fellow Masters. "I spoke with him personally earlier today, and I sensed no deceit; Emperor Fel really is offering his assistance."

"Should we take it?" Malysa asked.

Han shrugged. "If this is Vader, he's less likely to fire on an Imperial ship than one of ours."

"The Star Destroyer Emperor Fel is sending," Leia went on, "is the _Azure Flame_, which is commanded by one of his sons, Colonel Jagged Fel."

"That, I didn't know yet," said Han, turning to look at his wife. "Jag… Is he the one with the scar, white streak in his hair?"

"That's him," Luke confirmed. "I've spoken with him a few times at various diplomatic functions. He seems competent and honorable."

"For an Imperial, you mean," Han scoffed.

"Fel is not Vader," Leia said pointedly. "The Empire is much different under Fel. It has been for twenty years."

"You keep thinking that, sweetheart," Han said with a lopsided grin. "I, on the other hand, will be keeping my blaster fully charged."

"I have accepted Emperor Fel's gracious offer," Leia said with a mildly annoyed glance at her husband. "We'll be taking the _Millennium Falcon_ to meet the _Azure Flame_ at the border, and we will proceed with all speed from there to Belkadan."

"Our objectives for this mission," said Luke, "are to investigate the rogue SSD's activities and attempt to open negotiations with its commander. Ordinarily, both the New Republic and the Empire would respond to this kind of military action with force themselves, but if this vessel indeed proves to be commanded by my father, that may be… unwise."

"It certainly seems like Vader," Han said. "Shoot first, give explanations later, if ever."

Luke did not agree, but Malysa noted that he didn't disagree, either.

At that moment, the door hissed open, and Anakin Solo and Ben Skywalker hurried in, their hair and clothes still mussed from the wind. Luke and Leia both turned a reproving eye on their sons, but otherwise made no comment. Jacen smirked at his brother, but he, too remained silent. Ami quietly snickered at Ben and elbowed his side as he stood next to her.

"Officially, this is a Jedi mission," Luke went on. "Emperor Fel assured Master Solo in their communication that his troops and the Imperial Knights aboard will defer to our authority."

Luke folded his hands inside the sleeves of his outer robe. "Master Jade Skywalker and her apprentice have already gone ahead to quietly scout out the Belkadan system." He looked around the room. "The reason I have mainly assigned members of my own family to this mission is in hopes of providing a stabilizing influence on my father. He has shown himself to have a measure of concern for us in the past; it is my hope that Vader will be less inclined toward rash action with us present."

"May my apprentice and I accompany you, Master Skywalker?" Tionne asked. "I wish to meet with Lord Vader briefly, unless you think it unwise."

"I'd say so," Han said. He spread his hands when Leia gave him a look. "Hey, I'm just saying; every time _I've_ met the man, I've wanted to leave just as soon as I could."

Luke nodded. "You may join us. I warn you, though; my father can be a little brusque. He may not answer your questions."

"Nevertheless, I must make the attempt," Tionne said. "Anakin Skywalker is such a significant figure in our recent history that as a historian, I cannot pass up the chance to speak with him."

"Very well," Luke said. "Pack swiftly; we leave in three hours."

* * *

><p>As the squadron of TIE fighters escorted the <em>Jade Sabre<em> down to the surface of Belkadan, Jaina sat pensively in the copilot's chair, watching as her aunt guided the ship in for a landing.

She had heard stories, certainly, and in the back of her mind, she had known he was probably still alive, but Jaina had never met her grandfather before today. Truthfully, the possibility of meeting him was not something that entered her thoughts often, yet it appeared that that was about to happen.

Outside, Darth Vader's Force presence only grew stronger the closer they drew to the planet, until it nearly gave Jaina a headache. Was he intentionally broadcasting himself in the Force, or was he naturally like this? He seemed to be nearly a disturbance in the Force all by himself, a fountainhead of power the likes of which she'd never sensed coming from a single person before.

Most disturbing of all, Jaina sensed the Dark Side within that presence, cold and grim.

"_Prepare to be boarded, _Jade Sabre," a cold voice said from the comm speakers, clipped with a Coruscanti accent.

"Easy," Mara warned.

Jaina glanced down to see that her hand had gone to the hilt of her lightsaber almost by itself. She pulled away, clenching and unclenching her fingers in an attempt to suppress her nervousness.

"He isn't going to hurt us," said Mara, meeting Jaina's eyes. "If he was going to kill us, he would have just had the _Executor_ fire on us as we went past it."

"I know," Jaina said. "But it's just…"

"You've never been this close to a real Dark Side master before," Mara said. "Especially one this powerful."

Jaina sighed. "Exactly. I thought I knew what the Dark Side was like from when we fought Tamith Kai and the Shadow Academy, but this…"

Mara snorted softly. "Tamith Kai only wished she understood the Dark Side like Vader. No, the students from the Shadow Academy we fought weren't Sith, not even Vader's Sith." She looked over at Jaina again. "Pray you don't ever meet a real Sith Lord, someone who has thrown himself completely to the darkness."

Jaina nodded, remembering the stories she'd been told of Darth Nova, Vader's treacherous apprentice, and Palpatine, Vader's Sith Master. Emperor Fel had shared what his people had discovered in the first Emperor's private files, and it was enough to send a chill through Jaina when she read the information; the galaxy was truly fortunate Palpatine's reign as Emperor had been cut short, no matter what the popular opinion of Vader was within the Republic.

Only moments after _Jade Sabre_ settled on its landing gear just outside the outpost, Jaina heard a fist pound twice on the outer hatch. Mara calmly reached out with the Force and hit the release, lowering the ramp as the hatch hissed open.

Six Imperial stormtroopers marched into the small vessel and straight up into the cockpit, where they leveled their blasters at the two Jedi. "Hand over your lightsabers and come with us," the leader said, his voice rendered flat and emotionless by his helmet.

Jaina slowly removed her lightsaber from her belt and extended it to the nearest trooper, who snatched it from her grasp and clipped it to his own belt.

Mara tossed hers at the commander, smirking sardonically at him to let him know that even without her Jedi weapon, he and his men posed no threat to her whatsoever. He caught it smoothly, clipping it to his belt without his blaster rifle moving a millimeter.

Outside, there was a strange greenish tint to Belkadan's sky, something almost… sickly. Jaina also felt an odd disturbance of the Force here, besides the overwhelmingly powerful presence of her grandfather, something _wrong_. She couldn't quite put it into words, but as she and Mara exchanged glances, she knew her aunt felt it, too.

As they drew near to the main building of the Ex-Gal outpost, Jaina felt Darth Vader's Force presence slowly lessen, as if a strong filter had slid over a powerful searchlight, reducing it from a blinding glare to mere soft illumination.

_That earlier display was for our benefit,_ Mara silently sent to Jaina through the Force. _I think he just wanted to make sure we knew he was here._

_Mission accomplished_, Jaina sent back in an attempt at levity, mostly to dispel her uneasiness.

Inside the main building, waiting for them in the midst of the scattered pod-like research stations, was a huge black-armored man flanked by several stormtroopers, their weapons held across their chests. The dark man stood with his thick arms crossed over his chest, staring at them through the black lenses of his death's-head mask as they approached.

"Jade," the dark man rumbled in a deep, mechanically distorted voice. His tone was unfriendly, if not outright threatening.

Mara crossed her own arms, mirroring the black-armored man's posture. "Jade Skywalker, actually," she said. "Has been for twenty years now."

The dark man did not reply, his deep mechanical breathing seeming to echo from the walls in the silence. He turned his ominous black mask in Jaina's direction. "You must be Leia's daughter," he said. "You look just like her."

Without waiting for her reply, he reached his gloved hands up to his helmet and manipulated something at his collar. With a hiss of releasing pressure, the lower portion of the mask moved slightly away from the collar, and the dark man lifted the entire helmet from his head.

Jaina recognized the face of Darth Vader, but he was twenty years older than the latest pictures she had seen of him; both his hair and beard had gone completely silver, and in addition to the lines of age, he had also acquired several more scars, including one on his left cheek that disappeared into his beard. However, he was still obviously quite muscular beneath his armor, his posture and bearing vital and energetic.

As his natural ice-blue eye and the glowing prosthetic met Jaina's gaze, Vader's expression seemed to soften ever so slightly.

"I am your grandfather," he said, his voice surprisingly soft considering the intimidating tone his helmet's vocoder had previously given his words. "Anakin Skywalker."

"Is that what you're really calling yourself now?" Mara said. "Or are you still going by Darth Vader?"

Vader glanced over at her as he set his helmet down on the console next to him. "Two names for the same man," he said. "Call me what you will."

"There some special reason for this get-up?" Mara said, still skating dangerously close to outright rudeness.

Vader's expression did not so much as flicker in annoyance; he remained perfectly calm as he regarded his former student. "The Yuuzhan Vong are terrified of it," he replied, reaching out to lightly brush the top of his helmet with a gloved hand. "They abhor everything mechanical, and are convinced by now that I am some sort of technological demon summoned by their enemies against them." He smirked. "A primitive superstition, but one of which I am more than willing to take advantage."

"So what are you doing here?" Mara asked.

"Preventing an invasion," Vader replied. "I have been tracking a Vong battle group for the past several days, and I extrapolated their course as taking them past this installation. I deduced that in order to pass it undetected, they must have sent an agent to the outpost to either infiltrate it and sabotage the equipment, or just slaughter the scientists, which seemed more likely."

He idly gestured at a dark stain on the floor. "Fortunately, we arrived before their agent could complete his mission."

"So the Vong's main fleet has finally arrived?" Mara asked.

At Vader's nod, Jaina felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Like the rest of the Jedi, she had long known of the impending invasion by the Far Outsiders, or Yuuzhan Vong, but she had to admit that in the back of her mind she had been secretly hoping they wouldn't actually show up.

"We had been holding them back for years," Vader said quietly. "We were locked in a stalemate; they could not advance any farther, but neither could we drive them entirely back." He sighed, seeming in that moment to Jaina to be very old and tired. "We have fought the Yuuzhan Vong for twenty years, trying our best to drive them back. Just when it appeared that we were finally gaining the upper hand, their numbers swelled far past even the most pessimistic estimates."

He looked up at Mara. "I don't know how, but they have nearly three times as many ships and troops as I had expected them to have by now. Their shapers must have worked out some form of cloning, or their equivalent. That is the only explanation."

"Three times?" Mara said incredulously. "That's more than the militaries of both the Republic and the Empire combined! We have no way to match those kinds of numbers!"

"No way but one," Vader said cryptically, giving Mara a meaningful look.

She lifted her brows slightly in understanding. "You're still looking for it?" she asked.

"When I can," he replied. "So far I have found no traces, but recent… developments leave me hopeful that I will soon have a better idea of its location."

"There's another Jedi here," Jaina said softly as she sensed another presence in the Force. "Two. They're not here on the planet; they're on the _Executor_."

"Your perceptions are well trained, child," Vader said approvingly, turning to regard her. "You are correct."

"Who are your other prisoners?" Mara asked.

"_Guests_," Vader corrected, looking back at her. "They are two Jedi I encountered in the Unknown Regions." He glanced from Jaina to Mara. "There will be time for introductions later. For now, I would like your assistance. It is our estimation that the Yuuzhan Vong intend to reshape this planet for their own purposes and use it as a base from which to coordinate their invasion of this sector. You may help me organize my trap for their advance force."

"I'll need to report in to the Jedi Temple first," Mara said. She smirked. "Somehow, I don't think being attacked by the Republic for trespassing in their territory is part of your strategy."

Surprising Jaina, the corners of Vader's lips rose very slightly, and he nodded once. "Tell the Rebels to keep their ships in a nearby system if they insist on sending them; I do not require their assistance for this battle."

"I thought your forces were being pushed back," Jaina said. "Why wouldn't you want the Republic's help?"

Vader regarded her with a frank look. "I do not have the days required to argue with your Rebel commanders in order to convince them to follow my orders without question."

"Constantly referring to them as 'Rebels' probably wouldn't speed things along," Mara observed dryly.

Vader turned an unamused look on her. "Check in with your Temple, then report to the _Executor_ for a strategy briefing."

Mara snapped her heels together and gave a perfect expressionless military salute, though somehow she managed to make it look mocking, anyway. "Yes, sir!"

Vader's frown deepened, but otherwise he made no comment. He collected his helmet and left the room, accompanied by his troops.

When he was gone, Jaina turned to her aunt, incredulous. "How can you keep doing that? You know what he's capable of!"

Mara shrugged. "I've spent too much time with your father, I guess." Her faint smile slowly faded. "Besides, the Vader I knew wouldn't have just shrugged off even mild disrespect like that. He seems to have mellowed a little, though I didn't think that was possible. I was testing him," she clarified. "He passed… sorta."

"Maybe," Jaina allowed. She would have to think on this more before forming a more solid opinion of her grandfather.

"Come on," Mara said. "We have a lot to do and no time to do it. This is going to be the first of many, many battles we're going to fight against the Vong, so we'd better make sure we both live through it."

* * *

><p>On the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer <em>Azure Flame<em>, Colonel Jagged Fel, third son of Emperor Soontir Fel, stood in front of the main viewports with ramrod-straight military posture, patiently waiting for the New Republic vessel to arrive. Next to him, his Imperial Knight bodyguard and second-in-command Zekk fidgeted, once again shifting his armored boots on the polished black deck.

"Be patient," Jag said, turning his head slightly to glance at the other man.

Zekk flexed his shoulders inside his crimson-and-black armor, his dark red cloak stirring with the movement. "I'm tired of waiting," the dark-haired young man said. "I'm telling you, they've already left without us. You know the Rebels don't think much of us."

"Small wonder, with that sort of attitude," Jag said with a slight smirk. He inclined his head slightly toward his bodyguard. "Do me a favor, Zekk; don't call them Rebels while they're with us. The New Republic is the officially recognized government of half of this galaxy."

Zekk grunted. "Not for long, if Lord Vader has returned."

"Lord Vader was the one who told my father to let them have this half of the galaxy," Jag reminded him.

Zekk merely grunted again, folding his arms over his armored chest.

"Colonel, we're picking up a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter on long-range sensors," the sensor officer called up from the port crew pit.

"They're hailing us, sir," the comm officer said next to him.

"Open a channel," Jag ordered.

"_Imperial Star Destroyer _Azure Flame_, this is Grand Master Luke Skywalker aboard the Republic vessel _Millennium Falcon," Skywalker's voice said from the speakers above them. "_You are hereby granted authorization to enter Republic space._"

"Acknowledged, Master Skywalker," Jag replied. "I'll meet you in the docking bay once we've brought you aboard."

"_I look forward to it,_" Skywalker replied. "Millennium Falcon_ out."_

Jag turned to look down into the crew pits. "Plot the fastest possible route to Belkadan. Once the _Millennium Falcon_ is aboard, jump to hyperspace immediately."

"Yes, sir," the helmsman said. He and the navigator set to their task.

"Let's go and greet our guests," Jag said to Zekk as he set off down the command walkway.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: The next chapter may be a couple weeks again; in addition to my ongoing job hunt and other IRL stuff that likes to eat my writing time, I also still have some polishing to do on it, since it sets up the story's first major plot twist, and I want to make sure it unfolds as smoothly and awesomely as possible. Till next time!<p> 


	3. The Rising Tide

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Three<strong>  
>(The Rising Tide)<p>

"I will never get used to this," Han said, staring up at the huge white arrowhead shape of the _Azure Flame_ above him through the _Falcon_'s cockpit viewports.

In the copilot's seat next to him, Chewbacca rumbled his agreement. This was one of only a handful of times their starship had been taken aboard an Imperial vessel willingly.

"I think it's exciting," Han's niece said from her seat behind Chewie. "I've always thought Star Destroyers were shiny."

"Shiny?" Han said amusedly, swiveling his chair so that he could look back at Ami. "That's only 'cause you've never had to go up against one, darlin'. Running from three or four, all of 'em shooting at you with everything they've got, ain't so 'shiny'."

Ami gave him a look that was pure Mara Jade. "You haven't had to outrun a Star Destroyer since the war, Uncle Han, much less three or four."

Chewbacca chuffed with laughter as he got up, and affectionately ruffled Ami's hair as he walked past her, headed to the main hold.

Han smiled himself, knowing he had no real answer for that, and gave her a pat on the shoulder as he, too, headed back to the main hold. Ami remained behind to watch their arrival.

Leia, Luke and Jacen were all sitting on the curved couch behind the dejarik table, discussing something on the datapad sitting on the table in front of them. Malysa and Tionne sat in the chairs next to the computer console, both meditating.

Tahiri sat cross-legged on the floor next to Tionne, a control unit in her hands. From her look of concentration, Han assumed she was the one controlling the two remotes hovering in tandem in front of Anakin and Ben, who were as usual practicing with their lightsabers.

"All right, that's enough," Han called to his son and nephew. "We'll be touching down in just a minute, so get ready."

Anakin quickly whirled his lightsaber through a looping pattern, catching the last few bolts fired by the remotes on his blade, even impudently grinning at Ben as he leaned out to catch one his cousin had been about to intercept. With a last flourish of his blade, he closed it down and clipped his lightsaber to his belt.

Ben shook his head in mock disapproval. "Such a show-off," he said, closing down his own lightsaber.

Anakin replied with a shrug and a grin as he pulled on his outer robe.

Han felt the deck shift gently as the _Falcon_'s landing gear touched down on the deck of the Star Destroyer's docking bay, and he tugged at the lapels of his black jacket, waiting.

"Fasten your collar," Leia murmured as she stepped over to stand next to him, adjusting the sleeves of her long white outer robe.

Han made a face, but complied. "How about I just go change into my uniform?" he grumbled good-naturedly as his fingers worked at the collar of his off-white shirt. "We can polish up my medals and everything."

Leia smiled. "We'll save that for the formal dinner with the captain."

"Yeah," Han scoffed. Then he realized she was serious and frowned, which only made her smile again.

Leia reached out to brush back an unruly lock of Anakin's hair, and he leaned away, grimacing. "Mom!" he complained.

"Grin and bear it, junior," Han said to him as he hit the ramp controls.

The Jedi Masters and their students were the first down the ramp into the docking bay; Luke with Jacen, Malysa with Ami, Tionne with Tahiri, and Leia with Anakin and Ben.

"Make sure you lock up behind us," Han said quietly to Chewbacca.

The big Wookiee barked a quiet agreement and went to lock the doors, but before he could hit the button, Leia turned and quietly said to Han, "That's not very diplomatic, dear."

Han frowned, but waved Chewie off and continued down the ramp. "Turn the security cameras on, though," he murmured low enough that Leia couldn't hear. Chewbacca nodded and ducked back to the main hold's computer console for a moment.

Colonel Fel himself stood a few paces in front of the ramp, flanked by a pair of red-and-black-armored Imperial Knights and two full platoons of stormtroopers. The harsh lighting and cavernous space of the somber-colored docking bay gave a grim aspect to the Imperials - though most of that was just the Imperials themselves, Han thought.

Fel straightened his shoulders beneath his impeccable black-and-red uniform, inclining his head briefly in Luke's direction. "I am honored to welcome your party aboard the _Azure Flame_, Master Skywalker," he said. "It is a distinct pleasure to work with you on this mission."

"Thank you, Colonel," Luke replied, taking a few steps forward.

He extended his hand, and Fel hesitated for a moment before he reached out and shook it.

"If you would like to refresh yourselves before the briefing, we have prepared the executive quarters for you," Fel said, gesturing with one hand at the docking bay doors. "I must attend to matters on the bridge, but please, follow Qeris."

He gestured to the statuesque Imperial Knight standing at one side, a young woman of olive complexion with long, intricately braided black hair and sea-green eyes, who regarded them dispassionately. She was trim and muscular beneath her red-and-black armor, her polished chrome lightsaber gleaming at her belt beneath the long dark red cloak hanging from her shoulders.

"We can see to your luggage, if you like," Qeris said. Her accent was Coruscanti mixed with some slightly lilting Inner Rim inflection Han didn't quite recognize.

"Thank you," Leia said. "It's all just at the top of the ramp."

Qeris silently ordered four waiting gray-uniformed crewmen up the ramp with a nod of her head, then turned and headed for the door. Their group followed her, mostly quiet as they moved through the stark halls toward the nearest turbolift.

When Qeris stopped next to a closed set of doors and pressed the call button, Jacen remarked to her, "You're originally from Onderon, aren't you?"

The Imperial Knight looked back at him with the barest hint of a smile. "You have a good ear," she replied. "My parents are Onderonian. They were at university on Coruscant when Emperor Fel took the throne, and they decided to stay there."

"That's what I thought," Jacen said. "Onderon is in the Republic, after all."

Qeris nodded once, but made no further reply.

They all moved into the spacious turbolift, and Han noticed that Qeris took up position beside the control panel, next to Luke.

"Are the rumors true, Master Skywalker?" she said quietly. "Is the vessel we are investigating the _Executor_?"

"It is," Luke replied. "We received a report from my wife and her apprentice just before you arrived; the Super Star Destroyer at Belkadan is indeed the _Executor_, and it is commanded by Darth Vader."

"I see," Qeris said neutrally. Her posture did not change, but Han noticed a slight tightening of her expression, though he was unclear whether this news pleased her or not.

Han wasn't himself happy that Vader was back, but he did know Fel's Empire still retained a measure of respect for its former ruler. Vader's prowess as a military commander was undeniable, and furthermore, Han also knew the Order of Imperial Knights modeled their view of the Force after Vader's, seeking to find the balance between Light and Dark. A great many of their order were former Sith, so he knew they would be eager to serve alongside their old Master again.

Qeris herself, though, looked no more than nineteen or twenty, far too young to have ever known Vader personally. Han wondered what _she_ thought of the former Emperor.

Leia was right; Fel's Empire was indeed different from Vader's, though Han didn't like to admit it. Obviously, Fel was also concerned his former commander had returned, but whether this was because he feared he might have to give up his throne or because he wanted to join forces with Vader, Han didn't know.

The turbolift slowly drew to a halt, and Qeris stepped outside once the doors opened, her cloak flaring out behind her as she marched down the hallway. "This way, please."

* * *

><p>Mara had to admit that she was a bit surprised Admiral Firmus Piett was still in command of the <em>Executor<em> after all these years. During Vader's reign, no officer had managed to command the Emperor's personal Star Destroyer for more than two or three years before termination - which was sometimes literal. Though, given Piett's quiet competence, it made sense that Vader had kept him around.

His hair had gone entirely white, but otherwise, Piett looked much the same as the last time Mara had seen him. Standing in perfect parade-rest posture next to the massive black conference table, gray uniform spotless and black boots polished to a glossy shine, the slight admiral gave a brief nod of greeting to Mara and Jaina before returning his attention to a simulated battle unfolding on the view-screen next to him.

After sending their message, Mara and Jaina had taken the _Jade Sabre_ up to the _Executor_ and made their way here, to the executive conference room. They were a few minutes early, so it was no surprise to Mara that only Piett and one other were here. The conference room's other occupant was a human woman in her late thirties Mara did not recognize, who radiated an unmistakable aura through the Force.

The unfamiliar Jedi was of medium height and slender build, with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and shoulder-length wavy light brown hair. She wore robes of the style usually preferred by Jedi, in varied shades of blue; her outer robe and trousers were a dark navy color, her tunic a medium shade, and her belt a light sky-blue. A lightsaber hung from her belt, well-crafted but obviously well-used.

Also of note was the way the Jedi sized Mara up in return; not only had she seen combat, but she had probably served as some sort of soldier for quite some time. Mara noted the way the Jedi's eyes went right to her weapons, quickly judging the distance between her, the door, and the distance between Mara and Jaina. All of this was so quick it may as well have been unconscious, more out of force of habit than anything else.

"This is Jedi Master Jennyrija Talmak," Piett said with a quick glance at Mara. "Master Talmak, Jedi Master Mara Jade Skywalker and her apprentice, Jaina Solo."

Jennyrija gave them both a friendly smile. "Call me Jenn for short," she said, her voice inflected with a drawling accent with which Mara was not familiar; it sounded vaguely Outer Rim.

"Master?" Jaina said curiously. "I'm afraid I don't recognize your name."

"Oh, I earned it, all right," Jenn said with a trace of wry humor. "I've been away from galactic affairs for quite a while, so it's not really a surprise you've never heard of me."

"Your Master was one of the old Order?" Mara asked, judging by her apparent age.

Again, Jenn's mouth quirked in a wry smile. "You might say that." She looked at Mara. "Skywalker? Any relation to our host?"

"I'm married to his son, Luke." Mara replied.

"Oh, family reunion, eh?" Jenn said.

"You might say that," Mara said with a slight smirk.

Jenn smirked back. "I wouldn't want him as a father-in-law, myself," she said quietly enough that Piett wouldn't overhear. "Bit of a grouchy fella."

Mara allowed an agreeing smile at that. She glanced at Jaina, but her niece seemed distracted.

"What is it?" she asked.

Jaina didn't respond at first, and Mara was about to reach over to touch her shoulder when Jaina turned to look at her. "Oh, sorry," she said. She glanced at Jenn. "I sense that the other Jedi here is very upset about something, and I was wondering what was wrong."

Jenn's smile faded. "He's, ah… not feeling well."

Mara raised her brows slightly in query. Jenn hesitated, clearly not wanting to discuss it any further.

"That's unfortunate," Mara said. She was still curious, but decided to change the subject anyway. "You met Vader in the Unknown Regions?"

"That's right," Jenn replied. "My companions and I accidentally got stuck in a booby trap on a planet we were exploring, and Lord Vader let us out." She smirked again. "We had a bit of a misunderstanding when we found out he was a Sith Lord, but once he told us what he was doing there and asked for our help - all without threatening to kill us even once - we decided to go with him." She shrugged. "He's a bit grouchy, like I said, but nowhere near as bad as any of the other Sith Lords I've met. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was a Gray Jedi instead."

Mara was about to ask Jenn what other Sith Lords besides Darth Vader she could have met when the door hissed open and Vader himself entered the room, dressed in his familiar black Imperial uniform with silver trim and black cloak. He glanced briefly over at the three of them as he quickly strode to the head of the table to stand next to Piett. "Status?" he inquired.

"The _Executor_ is fully combat-ready, sir," Piett answered. "All fighter squadrons are standing by."

"Good," said Vader. He turned to look at the three Jedi, gesturing for them to sit. "I have called you here to explain your part in our strategy. We will be conducting a two-pronged assault on the Yuuzhan Vong advance force once they take up position on and around Belkadan."

"We will allow their fleet to enter orbit around Belkadan," Piett said, "and then, once they are in the planet's gravity well and cannot quickly jump to lightspeed, the _Executor_ and her squadrons will engage the vessels in orbit while Lord Vader and the ground troops engage their landing forces."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just deal with the space forces and then bombard any ground bases from orbit?" Mara asked, leaning back slightly in her chair.

"Yes. But, I wish to take prisoners," Vader answered. "If possible, I wish to capture the commander of their landing forces and interrogate him."

"From what you and your troops have told me," Jenn said, frowning, "the Vong don't sound like the sort to allow themselves to be taken prisoner. You're going to expend a lot of troop strength trying to subdue their warriors, likely with massive casualties."

"Yes," Vader conceded. "That is why I am taking you three, along with a small contingent of elite stormtroopers, all of whom are veterans of previous battles with the Vong. It will be a commando mission rather than a large-scale ground assault."

"Oh, joy," Jenn deadpanned. "I haven't been on a good crawl through the mud in a while."

Mara chuckled softly, knowing the feeling exactly.

The comm buzzed, and Piett reached out to answer it. "Yes?"

"_Our long-range sensor buoys have detected a number of vessels reverting to realspace on the edge of the system, Admiral,_" an Imperial officer reported. "_Visual telemetry confirms the vessels are Yuuzhan Vong."_

Vader stood immediately. "Come with me," he ordered the three Jedi. "We are starting our landing immediately. Piett," he said, turning to the admiral, "move the _Executor_ into position behind Belkadan's moon and keep all squadrons ready to launch. We attack as soon as their troops touch down."

He turned and left, cloak sweeping out behind him, and Mara, Jaina and Jenn hurried to catch up.

"How will we know where they're going to land?" Mara asked as they jogged through the corridors. "Even one planet is a big place; we can't just wait in orbit ourselves and track their landing, because they'll pick up our dropship's engine emissions."

"They will most likely land near the research station," Vader replied. "In case they do not, we will hold position high in the atmosphere and wait to see where they land."

"Again," Mara persisted, "they'll pick up our engine emissions."

Vader slowed to a halt in front of a turbolift. "We will not be using the engines," he said as he hit the call button. He turned to meet her gaze. "We will be using the Force."

* * *

><p>As the Imperial dropship hurtled down through Belkadan's atmosphere, Jaina sat buckled into her seat next to her aunt, pensive.<p>

She was no stranger to battle, having helped repel the attempted invasion of Alderaan by Tamith Kai's rogue fleet, as well as other threats and crises she'd faced during the course of her Jedi training. But, she had never faced an enemy she could not feel through the Force.

The Force was so much a part of Jaina that it was hard for her to imagine life without it. Fighting an enemy the Force could not sense would be to her like fighting while blindfolded or with her arms tied behind her back.

She looked around the cramped dark gray cabin of the dropship. The elite stormtroopers sat quietly in their own chairs, some of them checking their weapons or making last-minute adjustments to their armor, but none of them showed any signs of nervousness. She took solace from this; none of these people were Jedi, and all of them had survived multiple battles with the Yuuzhan Vong.

The elite troopers' armor was different from standard; the configuration was largely the same, but the armor plates were black instead of the normal white, the shoulder pauldrons were colored a dark red and bore a black fist sigil, and their helmets had a dark red vertical stripe, reminiscent of old clone trooper armor. Upon closer inspection, the black fist on their insignia was vertically flanked by the words 'Vader's Fist', with '501st' below the wrist.

One of the troopers noticed Jaina looking at him and swiveled the black lenses of his skull-like helmet toward her. "This your first battle with the Vong?" he asked, his voice rendered flat by his helmet's voice filter.

Jaina nodded. "Yes."

He slowly nodded once, as if both agreeing and looking her up and down. "We've got your back," he said. "It's an honor to fight with a member of Lord Vader's family."

"They don't wear helmets," another soldier wearing scout trooper armor put in. He raised the long-barreled sniper rifle he was cleaning. "Go for the heads if you can. The armpits and kneecaps are other weak points in their armor."

"It's made of some kind of crab with a blaster-proof shell, right?" Jaina said. "Lord Vader left some files with my uncle when he left for the Unknown Regions, and I've studied them."

"Right," the sniper said. "They're much physically stronger than a human, too, so try to avoid hand-to-hand if you can. Their amphistaffs can squirt some kind of toxic venom, so you're going to want a rebreather with a face shield."

"Ideally, you'd want full-body armor like Lord Vader's," the first trooper said. "He built it specifically to fight the Vong. Maybe once this group is toasted, you can get the techs on the _Executor_ to design you some."

As if summoned by the trooper's words, the door to the rear compartment opened and Darth Vader walked forward, his deep mechanical breathing echoing in the cramped space. He strode forward along the benches, occasionally making eye contact with the troopers, who gave him respectful nods in acknowledgement.

"Pilot," Vader boomed, his deep basso voice overriding all other noise in the compartment. "Full stop. Disengage engines and shut down all systems."

"Yes, Lord Vader," the pilot called back.

For just a moment - a brief, heart-stopping moment - the dropship began to fall, but it quickly settled, as if cupped gently in an enormous hand.

Now, Jaina knew, the only thing keeping the vessel in the air was her grandfather's will.

"Once we are on the ground," Vader rumbled, gloved hands clasped behind his back over his sweeping black armorweave cloak, "Apprentice Solo will assist you in disabling the Vong landing vessels, so that they cannot escape us. Masters Jade and Talmak will accompany me." He lowered his head slightly to sweep the lenses of his death's-head mask around the compartment again. "You are all authorized full deadly force; only the commander is to be taken alive." His deep voice dropped to a chillingly grim tone. "Kill the rest. No prisoners."

"What if any of the warriors surrender?" Jenn asked.

One of the elite troopers turned to look at her. "Vong don't surrender," he said. "They always fight to the death."

Jenn grimly nodded once. "I understand."

Vader turned to look at Jaina, and even though she knew he bore her no ill will, it was still an effort not to flinch at being regarded by that ominous black mask. "Apprentice Solo," he said, "I understand you are an accomplished pilot."

She nodded. "I take after my father."

Jaina sensed a slight sneer behind Vader's mask, but he said nothing. Instead, he said, "Come forward, please."

After a brief glance at Mara, who nodded fractionally, Jaina unbuckled her crash webbing and complied, following Vader into the cockpit. The pilot and copilot immediately surrendered their seats and headed into the back. Vader swept his cloak over the back of the copilot's seat and settled in, gesturing with a black-gloved hand for her to take the pilot's station. The door hissed shut as she lowered herself into the chair.

"I require your assistance," Vader said. "I will sustain the levitation of this vessel, and you will direct its flight path. Once we are below the tree line, we will need to stay there so as not to be detected by the landing vessel's sensors. It will require great precision to guide the vessel, so we must work together."

"Why don't you ask my aunt Mara?" Jaina asked. "She's a more experienced pilot, and-"

"Jade is not as strong in the Force as you are," Vader replied bluntly, continuing to watch the swiftly darkening sky through the front viewport. It would soon be full night in this area. "You are my granddaughter; your powers will be equal to my own with sufficient training."

Jaina wasn't quite sure what to say to this, so she elected to remain silent instead.

"My soldiers will protect you," Vader said after a few moments' silence.

"What?" Jaina said, slightly startled.

Vader turned to look at her, the dark curves of his helmet gleaming in the soft lights cast by the passive sensors, which were the only system still active. "You are uneasy, child," he said. "You have never faced a battle like this before. Your task is not an easy one, but you will have my soldiers with you." He paused, and she was surprised when he reached out to place his left hand on her shoulder. "You must see our enemy and fight them for yourself if you are to learn how to defeat them. Warriors of our power must by necessity fight on the front lines; we are wasted anywhere else."

Jaina shifted uncomfortably. "I…"

"You do not want to fight," her grandfather said knowingly. "You know it is your duty to protect your Republic, and you will do battle in its defense if you must, but you do not _want_ to fight, to take the life of another."

"Yeah," Jaina said. "How did you know?"

Vader turned to look out of the viewport again. "I once thought as you do, as my old Master did. Fifty years of fighting wars have taught me differently. Passivity and caution do not win battles. To ensure victory, you must take action. You must take the fight to your enemy, hound him, never give him a moment's rest, so that he does not have time to plot strategy against you. You must wear him down so that he makes mistakes, and you must learn how to turn every mistake and false step of your enemy into a way to press your own advantage."

"That's not the Jedi way," Jaina said quietly.

"This is not a foe like any the Jedi have fought before," Vader countered. "The Yuuzhan Vong understand only pain and force. They cannot be bargained with, reasoned with, or influenced through the Force. Their heathen gods demand our blood, and they are determined to give it to them. Left unchecked, the Vong will sweep like a plague over this galaxy, and they will kill or enslave every living being in it."

He gestured to her with an open hand. "Beings like you, beings like _us,_" he clenched his fist so tight his glove creaked, "are the only thing standing between these barbarians and civilization." Vader lowered his hand and turned to face forward again. "Once you fight them yourself, you will understand."

Again, Jaina was unsure of exactly how to answer, so she turned her attention to the passive sensors and waited to begin the landing.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Maybe it's just me, but I get a big kick out of writing conversations between Darth Vader and his grandchildren. Bonus points if you recognize what 'shiny' is from.<p>

Also, a note on accents: Jenn's accent is vaguely Australian-sounding, but I wasn't sure exactly how to convey that in Star Wars terms. Qeris' accent is similar to Queen Talia's from '_KotOR II_', sort of an Indian accent mixed with upper-class English. I realize that's probably not important to most of you, but I felt the need to explain it anyway. ;) Till next time!


	4. White Knuckles

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Four<strong>  
>(White Knuckles)<p>

Mara squinted through the dark Belkadan jungle at the scattered shapes of the Yuuzhan Vong landing force, watching as the hulking figures emerged from their coral starships to warily explore the abandoned Ex-Gal station.

The armored black figure of Darth Vader loomed out of the night, eerily silent, even his heavy breathing quieted as he crouched beside her. He was utterly focused on the largest of the Vong ships, from which the landing party's commander had yet to emerge.

"Explain your plan to me again," Mara whispered, shifting as she adjusted her padded combat jumpsuit.

"I told you once," Vader murmured back, annoyed. His vocoder was turned off for the moment, so his voice was muffled by his helmet.

"Call me a slow learner," Mara replied. "I want you to explain to me in a way that makes sense why we're down here fighting them hand-to-hand instead of just bombarding this whole area from orbit."

"The commander of that vessel," Vader said, pointing impatiently at the still-silent coral ship, "has valuable tactical information on the rest of his battle group. We tracked this advance force here with the _Executor,_ but I wish to know where the rest of this fleet is. They somehow evaded us after our last skirmish, and I am going to interrogate him to find out where they have gone."

"But what makes you think a high-ranking Vong like this commander is going to allow himself to be taken alive?" Mara whispered back. "I thought they never surrendered."

A dim red light, barely visible, flickered on and off three times near the landing craft.

"Quiet," Vader said, reaching up to his collar. "That's the signal from LaRone; the Fist is in position."

Mara heard a click and then a whining hiss as Vader's armor sealed off and pressurized again. His heavy mechanical breathing seemed deafeningly loud next to her compared to the almost utter silence a few moments before.

"Prepare yourselves," Vader rumbled.

"Ready?" Jenn whispered from her other side. She pulled on her rebreather mask with transparent face shield and secured it in place.

Mara frowned, still uneasy about this whole situation. "Ready," she confirmed, pulling on her own mask.

As one, she and Jenn moved to either side of Vader and squeezed the detonators they gripped.

With a deafening blast, a roar of bright flame burst out of the jungle around them, illuminating the huge black shape of Darth Vader from behind. They ignited their lightsabers and held them at an angle, Mara's magenta blade crossed with Jenn's cyan, forming a glowing X behind Vader's helmeted head.

Vader himself conjured a powerful wind with the Force, stirring his cloak into a streaming wing-like shape behind him and whipping the flames into a frenzied dance. He spread his powerful arms wide, feet planted far apart, and bellowed a challenging phrase in Yuuzhan Vong down to the encampment, deep voice rumbling thunderously down from the hills.

He had provided a rough translation beforehand; Vader was shouting down to the encampment, approximately, that he was 'the great machine demon Darth Vader', come to slaughter their warriors and throw down their gods.

This little bit of psychological warfare, predictably, sent nearly every one of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors charging up the hill, howling for blood. No sooner had the warriors all left the perimeter their ships created when Vader's Fist detonated the charges they had spent the last ten minutes placing.

With a great roaring thunderclap and surge of flame, the first group of warriors disappeared under the blast of antipersonnel charges. Only moments later, the landing vessels themselves erupted with flame, propulsion systems disintegrating in a shower of coral fragments, smoke, and fire.

Vader's Fist had worked swiftly and well; not one of the Vong landing craft would be leaving the atmosphere again. The Vong warriors were all trapped here on Belkadan with them.

The survivors regrouped and charged on through the flames and smoking underbrush, swinging their amphistaffs in threat and screaming curses up at the looming black specter atop the low hill.

Below, Vong that had still been inside their ships stumbled out, coughing, only to be met with a blistering fusillade of bright red blaster fire and Jaina's blazing electric-violet lightsaber.

Next to Mara, Vader drew his lightsaber and ignited it, holding the shining blue weapon in his right hand. With his left, he sent a cascade of twisting purple-blue lightning down into the charging Yuuzhan Vong.

Vader shouted with effort as he poured more Force Lightning into the mass of howling, snarling warriors, many of whom now smoked under the onslaught but still struggled up the hill.

Darth Vader crouched slightly, tensing his legs, and then with a fierce shout of challenge he leaped down the hillside, cloak streaming behind him, lightsaber blazing in his right hand, lightning crackling around his left. Landing squarely in the middle of the invaders, he unleashed another torrent of lightning, swinging his lightsaber in concert with the motion to swiftly decapitate the nearest Yuuzhan Vong warrior. Flashes of light danced around the hillside, illuminating the Dark Lord's path of destruction.

For a few seconds, Mara could only watch in horrified awe as he surged through the Vong ranks like an unstoppable titan, lightsaber blazing in deadly spirals around him as he struck and spun. Around him, dozens of warriors surged toward the Sith Master, hurling projectiles and swinging their razor-sharp amphistaffs, but none stood long against Darth Vader's fury. His lightsaber swatted the projectiles from the air and parried a myriad of blows, never pausing in an endless gyration of light.

Mara hurled herself into the fray, her own magenta blade whirling to meet the advancing horde. The nearest of them was a broad-shouldered male at least two meters tall, covered in spiny plates of armor. A sinuous, whip-like amphistaff gripped in one hand, he lumbered toward her, screaming in a voice far deeper than any human's.

The razor-tipped tail of his amphistaff snapped past Mara's cheek, but she ducked and spun, angling low with her lightsaber. The Vong warrior jumped back with surprising dexterity, his weapon stiffening in his hands to become a bladed staff, which he slammed down against her blade in a powerful two-handed strike.

Mara angled herself to the side, allowing the strike to push her glowing, humming blade into the muddy ground. Her opponent was overbalanced for just a moment by this unexpected movement, and Mara took advantage of this by rapidly sliding her lightsaber up the shaft of his weapon, slicing off several of his fingers with the tip of her blade before dancing back out of range.

Howling with pain and rage, the Vong warrior whirled the amphistaff through his remaining fingers, but fumbled and dropped the weapon, which fell to the leaf-strewn ground with a hiss, becoming snake-like again.

Again moving faster than Mara expected, the Vong warrior surged forward and slapped the rebreather mask up off of her face, then swept her into his arms, pinning her against himself with a crushing grip. Up close, his foul breath overwhelmed Mara's senses, causing her eyes to water, but she blinked it away, spinning her lightsaber hilt in her fingers to reverse her grip.

The Vong snarled something at her and snapped his teeth together just millimeters from her face, trying to bite at her eyes and nose. Mara dodged as best she could, black spots beginning to swarm her vision from the crushing pressure on her chest, sharp spines on his abdominal plate digging into her stomach.

Finally, Mara managed to get her lightsaber into position. Squeezing the activation plate, she sent the meter-long shaft of magenta energy stabbing up through her opponent's armpit and out of the top of his shoulder, barely a centimeter from her cheek.

The warrior reflexively loosened his grip, and Mara immediately twisted out and back, wrenching her lightsaber blade through his shoulder as she did so.

Through the din of battle, Mara's ears picked up an ominous hiss, and she rolled to the side just in time to avoid a strike from the amphistaff, whose gleaming fangs sank into the muddy ground beside her. Mara pinned the creature's head with the heel of her boot, then slashed through its body while it was still flexible. The twitching halves of the serpent coiled convulsively as it thrashed through its death throes.

The weapon's master stumbled towards her, screaming incoherently, one arm dangling uselessly at his side. Mara swept out her leg and hooked her ankle around his, sending him tumbling forward onto the waiting edge of her lightsaber blade.

The body settled heavily onto the muddy ground, the head quickly rolling away to disappear into the underbrush.

Mara retrieved her rebreather mask and stood. Breathing heavily, she checked the small gashes on her stomach from the warrior's armor spines, but determined they were only flesh wounds and therefore ignored them for now.

Her eyes darted to the electric violet blade of Jaina's lightsaber, which was all she could see of her apprentice through the smoke and the gloom. Through the Force, Mara sensed Jaina was slightly wounded, but it was nothing serious; she was holding her own for now, surrounded by the grim, deadly-efficient troopers of Vader's Fist.

Nearby, Jenn hurled herself into a long backflip, soaring high into the boughs of a tree. Two warriors followed, clambering up after her, but her cyan lightsaber swept down in a wide arc, and an enormous, meter-thick limb crashed down out of the canopy, knocking both warriors from the tree and then smashing them into the ground with crushing force. Their limbs twitched for a moment beneath the huge branch, then stilled.

Vader himself still stood in the midst of a mass of Vong, lightsaber blazing and Force Lightning crackling from his fingertips. Mara watched as he used the Force to seize the limb Jenn had cut from her tree and send it crashing into the mob of warriors surrounding him.

The Dark Lord turned his Force Lightning on the enormous limb for a moment, cascading sparks over it until it erupted with flame, at which point he swept it through the ranks of the Vong again. They scattered, some warriors dropping to the mud in an attempt to smother the flames that leaped across their skin and hair.

Regrouping, the Vong surged forward to reach Vader, and he leaped backwards onto the limb to give himself a higher position. The flames crawled up Vader's cloak and the tabard beneath it, but he seemed not to notice, spinning and dodging, throwing down heavy overhand blows to the Vong swarming around him. His deep voice boomed from the hills as he shouted with effort and challenge, dealing death to his opponents at every turn.

For a moment, Mara stared at her old Master, puzzled, before she realized he was _laughing_; he was _enjoying_ this!

The battle, the smoke and flame and blood and death; all this faded away into a cold fury as Mara realized why Vader had really brought a landing party down to Belkadan's surface.

Now was not the time to be angry, Mara knew. She allowed herself one calming breath and pulled the Force to herself, letting her anger ebb away until she needed it.

* * *

><p>Jaina smashed a spinning razor-bug out of the air with her electric-violet lightsaber, then hurled the glowing weapon overhand at the Yuuzhan Vong warrior who had thrown it.<p>

The blade speared through his neck just above the top of his breastplate, and he slowly sank to his knees before toppling over on his side. Jaina retrieved her lightsaber with a tug of the Force.

Beside her, Colonel LaRone, commander of the Vader's Fist unit, had his blaster rifle on full automatic, spraying red fire at a cluster of warriors who were charging for one of his wounded men. Jaina leaped over and slashed at one of the warriors, but he managed to catch her strike with his forearm plate and turn it aside.

However, this distracted the Vong enough for one of the snipers of Vader's Fist to pick him off with a shot to the head. The shot came from the east, so Jaina supposed she had trooper Grave to thank for the assist. She concentrated on keeping the Vong warriors focused on her and her lightsaber so that Grave could take the rest of them down, which he did with deadly precision.

Due to his black armor and the oppressive dark of the jungle, Jaina couldn't see exactly where Grave was, but she saluted his general direction with her lightsaber in thanks, knowing he was about to change position anyway after having fired so many shots.

Three elite troopers clustered around Jaina and their wounded comrade, providing covering fire as she looked the injured man over.

"Where are you hit?" Jaina asked, searching for the wound in the glow of her lightsaber.

"Left side," the man groaned. "Razor-bug got me. Went right through my armor, the little kriffer."

"I hate those things," Jaina said as calmly as she could, examining the wound with the Force. "Especially the way they change direction in mid-air like that." As she spoke, she focused on sending healing energy into the wounded trooper. "What's your name?" she asked him.

"Gerrick Felth," he replied, already sounding a little stronger now that she'd managed to stop the flow of blood.

"Well, Gerrick," Jaina said, smiling tightly as she managed to close up the wound, "you're going to be just fine. You're going to want a bacta patch on that later, but for now you should be good to walk."

"Fall back to the dropship, Felth," LaRone ordered. He turned to one of the other three black-armored troopers. "Renniq, make sure he gets there."

"Yes, sir!" Renniq replied.

"Thanks, Jedi," Felth said as Renniq slung his arm over his shoulder.

"You're welcome, trooper," Jaina replied, attempting to dust off her knees before realizing the futility of the gesture; the thick black mud of Belkadan did not brush off easily.

"On the right!" LaRone called, bringing up his blaster rifle.

"Big son of a barve," one of the other troopers remarked, referring to the over two-meter-tall Yuuzhan Vong that leaped out of the largest of the landing craft.

"Look at those spikes on the shoulders," LaRone said. "That must be the commander."

"Apparently Vong get uglier the further they get up the command ladder," the second elite trooper said, bringing up his rifle.

"You'd be a general already, Turc," the first trooper joked.

"Stow it, Bentis," LaRone ordered. "That's the objective, men. Get him."

The Yuuzhan Vong commander and three of the warriors with him charged right at Jaina, snarling and brandishing their amphistaffs. LaRone dropped one immediately with a head-shot, while Bentis and Turc fired in unison, aiming for the commander.

Both troopers' bolts glanced harmlessly off of the commander's armor, and the huge Vong continued his charge. The three elite troopers kept firing, trying to aim for the aliens' heads.

Bentis managed to drop another warrior, and yet another, who kept blocking shots with his forearm armor, received a bolt in the knee from Turc. This left the commander for Jaina, who met his opening blow, a heavy overhand smash, with her lightsaber.

The unexpectedly powerful blow forced her blade almost down to her shoulder, so Jaina spun away from the next strike rather than attempting to block it.

Next, the commander slashed down with a one-handed diagonal strike, which Jaina parried to the side, but only too late did she realize her mistake: his blow had been a feint to draw her lightsaber away from her body so he could stab her side with one of the spikes on his other forearm.

Jaina screamed as he viciously ripped the barbed spike away. It didn't feel like he'd punctured anything vital, but still the pain threatened to overwhelm her senses. She pushed it aside as best she could, focusing on blocking the commander's next strike.

The tall Vong warrior went on the offensive, relentlessly hammering her backward. Jaina nearly tripped on a rock once, and he took advantage of this by thrusting at her head. Jaina turned the strike aside with her lightsaber, but still the edge of his amphistaff scraped the top of her shoulder, and she felt it shave off a sizable piece of the reinforced padding there.

Her opponent lashed out with his boot and caught Jaina in the chest, knocking her down. Winded, she tried to raise her lightsaber to deflect his final blow.

She was saved by a bright red bolt that lanced out of the darkness and struck the commander squarely between the eyes. The huge Vong warrior jerked and toppled over backward, landing on the muddy jungle ground with a heavy wet thud.

Jaina coughed as she sat up and adjusted her rebreather mask. "Thanks, Grave," she said in a strained murmur, trying to get her breath back.

"You all right?" LaRone asked, walking over to her.

Jaina probed her stab wound with her fingers and the Force. It was painful but not life-threatening. "I'll be fine," she said, half-closing her eyes in concentration as she gathered the Force to herself.

"So much for that plan," Turc said, kicking the dead Vong commander's leg.

"Doesn't matter," Bentis said dismissively. "Let's just kill the rest of them."

LaRone helped Jaina to her feet. "You sure you're fine?" he asked concernedly.

"Good to go," Jaina confirmed, wiping her fingers off on the leg of her combat jumpsuit.

"All right then," said LaRone. "Let's move out."

The four of them set off for the next group of Vong, knowing the night was far from over.

* * *

><p>Two warriors spied Mara's lightsaber and charged at her through the darkness. One reached up to the bandolier across his chest, then hurled three humming projectiles at her. Mara could sense neither the projectiles nor the Vong in the Force, but there was nothing wrong with her eyes; she tracked the projectiles for a moment before sweeping out her blade to catch two of them.<p>

One unexpectedly changed its trajectory and flew past her, wings beating furiously as it turned around; it was some sort of insect with razor-sharp ridges on its sides. Mara twisted to avoid it, but still it slashed a long gash in her upper arm.

She rolled her wrist to catch the insect on her lightsaber blade, but had no time to rest before the two warriors reached her. Mara decided to take a page from Jenn's book, and hurled herself upward in a Force-enhanced leap to catch a tree branch with one hand.

Experimentally, she sent a powerful Force shove toward the two Yuuzhan Vong, but they only shifted slightly when they should have been knocked from their feet. Mara frowned to herself as she closed down her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt, then pulled herself up onto the branch with both hands.

She stretched out with her senses, seeing what she _could_ feel; the plants and animals of the jungle resonated in the Force, but the Vong warriors were dead spots, voids in her senses. The Force could not be used against them because they were simply not connected to it like every other living thing in the universe.

The Vong warriors below grunted to one another as they tromped around the tree, trying to find some way up to her high branch. Mara let her eyes fall half-closed in concentration, listening to them stomp over the leaves and squelch through the mud, and stretched out to a large boulder half-buried in the ground nearby. The rock was porous, likely a remnant of some long-ago volcanic eruption, and roughly three meters in diameter.

Mara allowed herself a small, fierce smile; it was perfect.

She pulled her lightsaber from her belt and held it in her right hand, tensing her legs and shifting her boots on the rough bark of the branch. The boulder shifted in the ground, slowly pulling free of its resting place. When it had finally floated free of the mud, spinning slightly as Mara lifted it higher with the Force, she heard the two warriors let out astonished grunts, querying one another as to the phenomenon.

Tracking them with her ears, Mara positioned the boulder with the Force and drew in a slow breath. She stilled into motionlessness, waiting until the right moment.

The two warriors took a few curious steps toward the boulder, snarling to one another in their guttural language. A second passed, then another, then another.

_Now._

Mara leaped from the branch, igniting her lightsaber. She brought the weapon up, holding it with both hands, and as she neared the floating boulder, she sliced down with a powerful two-handed blow, carving the rock in half.

She let her lightsaber deactivate as she landed on the ground, rolling with momentum once before coming to a halt in a kneeling position, facing the two warriors. Mara let the halves of the boulder drift slightly further apart before she slammed them into the warriors with the Force, knocking them off their feet.

With both hands outstretched, palms up, Mara brought the pieces of the boulder upwards, then flipped her hands over and brought them down in twin hammer blows on the prone Yuuzhan Vong.

Grimly, Mara rose to her feet and turned to survey the battlefield again.

Jaina's lightsaber had stilled over by the smoking ruins of the landing craft; Mara sensed her niece watching her grandfather, who was still fighting. Nearby, Jenn too had run out of warriors to fight and was watching the Dark Lord finish off the last group.

Jungle debris pelted the last four Vong, who stood arranged in a semicircle in front of Vader. Chips of stone and small fragments of wood swarmed around their heads, continually assaulting their eyes and ears. The Vong warriors struggled to see past the debris, swinging their weapons at Vader, but he easily parried their blows, dodging past one, then another before twisting his lightsaber up and around one warrior's weapon to stab into his neck.

Another was met with a powerful blast of Force Lightning to the face, and he convulsed violently as Vader poured dark power into him from his left hand. The warrior's arms finally dropped to his side, and he slumped forward, skin smoking through the gaps in his armor.

Vader stepped forward and grabbed the dead warrior by the neck with his right hand, switching his lightsaber to his left, and lifted him up. The Dark Lord pivoted, and with a mighty heave of his arm, swung the corpse into one of the two remaining Vong.

The warrior toppled under the dead weight of his comrade, and Vader swiftly stepped forward, reversing his lightsaber and then plunging it with both hands into the base of the warrior's neck, just above the upper edge of the breastplate.

With a savage cry, Vader rose, pulled his blade free, and whirled, cloak fanning out like outstretched wings as his shining blue blade swept through the final Vong warrior's neck.

Cloak and tabard shredded and smoking, armor scratched, and with the Dark Side rippling strongly around him through the Force, it was terrifyingly obvious to Mara why the Yuuzhan Vong viewed Darth Vader as some sort of demon. At that moment, he seemed exactly that, a soulless killing machine bent only on death and destruction.

Mara stared coldly at Vader as he looked around the smoldering, corpse-strewn battlefield. The Dark Lord returned her gaze unconcernedly, inscrutable beneath his mask.

"You lied to me," she said to him, her voice taut with fury.

"Oh?" the Sith Master said, darkly amused.

Mara stalked closer to him, clipping her lightsaber to her belt as she did so. "You didn't come here for information," she said, angrily sweeping her hand at the carnage around them. "You just came here to fight."

Vader said nothing, his deep breathing infuriatingly regular.

"You risked my life, and your _granddaughter's_ life," Mara went on, pointing now at Jaina, who stood nearby, horrified at Vader's brutality. She then indicated the troopers of Vader's Fist. "You risked the lives of your soldiers, men who look to you for leadership, all so you could indulge your bloodlust, all so you could come down here and slaughter."

Mara gestured around at the Yuuzhan Vong, not one of which was still moving. "Where's this commander you needed to interrogate? Does he even exist? Was that ever actually part of the plan, or did you just bring us with you so that we could help you kill some Vong up close and personal?"

"The mission was not a complete success," Vader replied, his tone more annoyed than evasive. "Certain objectives were not accomplished."

Mara scoffed, too disgusted to bother arguing it further. Instead, she turned and started for the clearing where they'd parked the dropship.

Jaina caught up with her after a few steps, one hand pressed to a wound on her side, her face and clothes smeared with grime and ash. She, too, seemed appalled. "I think you're right," she said. "I think Vader just came down here to slaughter. None of his soldiers even bothered to try to take any prisoners."

"You're right," Jenn's voice said out of the darkness before she caught up to them. "I've seen my share of combat and planned a few commando raids of my own. This was not organized as an attempt to take a prisoner. These men were here to kill and nothing else."

"That's what happens when your mission is commanded by a Sith Lord," Mara said disgustedly. "I _knew_ it was too much to hope that he'd changed." She leveled her gaze at Jaina. "You stay away from him until your parents get here. If he tries to spin any of his 'balance' bantha-dung to you, you just tell him to shove it right up his-"

"He can probably still hear you," Jenn observed dryly. "There's likely some fancy sensors in that ugly helmet."

"If he wants to do something about it, he's welcome to try," Mara said darkly. "Come on; I need to get back to my ship so I can have a hot shower and say some more unfriendly things about our gracious host." She glanced at Jenn. "You're welcome to join us."

Jenn grinned amusedly. "Sounds lovely, thank you."

* * *

><p>Jacen stood in front of the bridge viewports on the Star Destroyer <em>Azure Flame<em>, his hands folded in the sleeves of his robe, contemplating the coruscating blue tunnel of hyperspace.

In less than half an hour, he would in all probability be meeting his grandfather in person for the first time. He had heard stories from his family all his life, but still he did not know quite what to expect.

He sensed his brother, cousins, and Tahiri talking quietly in a corner of the bridge, discussing among themselves similar thoughts to Jacen's own. His parents, uncle, and the other two Jedi Masters were on their way up to be present during the initial contact with the _Executor._

"I'm looking forward to meeting Lord Vader, myself," said a voice behind him.

Jacen turned to look over his shoulder at the approaching Imperial Knight, Zekk.

"Though," the tall, dark-haired young man went on, "probably not as much as you." He grinned.

"I suppose," Jacen replied. "If one can be excited to meet a tyrant and mass murderer."

Zekk bristled at that. "You Rebels started the war. Lord Vader was trying to finish it as quickly as he could so that he could focus on preparing for the _real_ fight. The Empire is ready, as he intended; if the Vong make it through your space, we'll be waiting for them."

"Which is undoubtedly why your Emperor Fel ceded this half of the galaxy to the Republic," Jacen observed. "The Yuuzhan Vong will definitely enter our space first."

"I'm sure the Empire will be more than willing to render assistance," said Zekk. "If you're lucky, you might even get to see one of our _Eclipse-_class ships in action."

Jacen half-smiled. "As my grandfather might say, technological superweapons are insignificant next to the power of the Force." He decided to change the subject to avoid any further argument. "So what made you decide to become an Imperial Knight?"

Zekk shrugged. "Same reason you became a Jedi, I suppose; I can use the Force, so I decided to do something with my abilities. I ended up on Coruscant after my parents were killed, and eventually I was recruited by General Katarn. I went into the training program, and when I graduated, I was assigned to Colonel Fel as his bodyguard and executive officer of his squadrons." He smirked. "I don't think I have to ask why you became a Jedi."

Jacen shrugged himself. "The Force is strong in my family. I don't remember ever wanting to be anything else."

"Three minutes to reversion, Colonel," one of the officers in the starboard crew pit called up to Jagged Fel.

"Open a channel to the _Executor_ as soon as we're in range," Fel ordered.

Zekk seemed to want to continue their conversation further, but Jacen didn't feel like discussing his family any more, particularly his grandfather, and especially not with an Imperial who was clearly no stranger to the Dark Side. He sensed his uncle approaching, and decided to leave under the pretense of speaking to him.

"Excuse me," Jacen said with a glance at the Imperial Knight, then turned to walk back along the command walkway to where the other Jedi stood. To take his mind off of his concerns, he thought of a joke and grinned at his cousin. "Hey Ben," he said as he neared the group. "Why do TIE fighters scream in space?"

Ben's face took on a falsely pondering expression. "They miss their mothership?" he said, as though he'd just hit upon the answer to a question of great importance.

Ami and Tahiri both groaned theatrically, rolling their eyes, but Anakin chuckled.

"Sorry, Jacen. I told him that one already," Anakin said.

Jacen affected a disappointed look. "How about the one about the droid who played sabacc with a Wookiee?"

"It cost him an arm and a leg," Han said amusedly. Chewbacca snuffled with laughter beside him.

Jacen sighed in mock frustration. "I need to think of some new jokes," he said.

"Yes, you do," said Ami. "Some good ones for a change."

Jacen grinned obnoxiously. "You love my jokes and you know it."

Making sure her father wasn't looking her way, Ami stuck her tongue out at him.

"All right, that's enough," Luke said mildly, without looking at either of them. With a quick glance at Leia, he went to stand next to Colonel Fel, joined a moment later by Jacen's parents.

"Exiting hyperspace in three, two, one," the navigator called out, "now."

The _Azure Flame_ reverted to realspace so smoothly Jacen barely felt the deck shift beneath his feet. The blue tunnel of hyperspace evaporated to reveal the planet Belkadan.

First, Jacen focused on the huge cobalt shape of the _Executor,_ drifting serenely in orbit above the night side of the planet. Only when a substantial fragment drifted momentarily in front of the Super Star Destroyer did Jacen notice that the space around the planet was littered with wreckage. The _Executor_ had apparently been the recent victor of a battle, one so vicious that there was not a single intact enemy vessel Jacen could see.

"Super Star Destroyer _Executor,_ this is the Imperial Star Destroyer _Azure Flame_, Colonel Jagged Fel commanding," Fel said after a discreet signal from the comm officer.

The screen next to Fel flared to life, displaying an almost identical bridge crewed by similarly gray-uniformed officers. Standing in the position equivalent to Fel's was an older human man in an admiral's uniform.

"_This is Admiral Firmus Piett,_" the admiral said, looking directly at Fel through the viewscreen. "_What brings you to Belkadan, Colonel Fel? As I understand it, we are well outside the present borders of the Empire."_

"Emperor Fel sent us to escort a Jedi mission to this system," Fel replied. "May I introduce you to Jedi Masters Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo, and General Han Solo of the New Republic."

"_We are acquainted,"_ Piett said, clipped voice ever so slightly dry. "_I assume you are here to inquire as to our presence within New Republic space?_"

"That is correct," Leia said. "We have gathered that your expulsion of the Ex-Gal scientists from the system was related to a situation involving the Yuuzhan Vong. The Republic and Empire have both sent representatives to be briefed on the present state of the war effort."

Before Piett could answer, Darth Vader swept onto the bridge, black cloak flaring out behind him as he stepped past the admiral to level a piercing stare at the group of them.

"_I will brief you myself,_" he said. "_Prepare to receive my shuttle._"

With that, he terminated the connection from his end.

"Polite as ever, I see," Han remarked dryly.

Next to him, Leia let out an annoyed sigh, while Luke frowned, appearing more disappointed than anything.

"Colonel, incoming vessels!" the sensor officer said suddenly, tensing with alarm.

Fel quickly descended the steps of the crew pit and moved to his side. "Configuration?"

"Unknown, sir," the sensor officer replied. "We just picked them up on long-range sensors at the-"

The holographic systems flared to life, interrupting the officer to display a life-size image of Darth Vader. "_That is the rest of the Vong fleet we've been tracking,"_ he said. "_Launch fighters and await further orders._"

Fel leaned over and touched a button on the comm station. "Battle stations! All pilots, report to your ships!"

He looked over at Jacen, who had moved closer to see if he could assist. "You there, Jedi! Have you ever flown a TIE Interceptor?"

Jacen nodded. "Never in combat, but I know the controls."

Fel nodded briskly, looking past Jacen to the other Jedi. "I would appreciate if those of you with fighter experience would report to the hangar. We're going to need all the pilots with Force-enhanced reflexes we can get out there."

"I'll get the _Falcon_ ready," Han called over his shoulder as he and Chewbacca jogged off for the nearest turbolift. "You four with me," he called to Ami, Tahiri, and their Masters.

"Colonel Fel," Leia said, moving forward, "I'm skilled in the Jedi art of Battle Meditation; I can help coordinate the offensive from here."

"So I've heard," Fel said. "You're in command of the _Flame, _then. I'm going out with my squadrons." He turned to one of the officers, a Twi'lek female with bright green skin. "Note that in the log and assist Master Organa Solo with procedure." He turned back to Jacen and indicated the bridge door with a jerk of his head. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Anakin Solo rolled his borrowed TIE Interceptor through a spiraling loop, getting a feel for the controls.<p>

"This is where the fun begins," he said with a fierce grin, looking out at the hundreds of similar fighters swarming forth from _Executor_ and _Azure Flame._

Nearby, he saw the two-pronged saucer shape of his father's _Millennium Falcon_, flying at the head of a formation of Skipray blastboats and tri-winged TIE Defenders.

"_Darth Vader to all ships,_" Anakin's grandfather's voice said from the comm, "Executor _and _Azure Flame_ will engage the capital ships. All support ships, concentrate on keeping fighters and boarding craft away from the Star Destroyers. Further orders will be relayed on this channel._"

Anakin twisted off in one last loop before returning to his place on the starboard side of his sister Jaina's fighter, forming a triangle with Jacen's. Of the three of them, Jaina was unquestionably the best pilot, so she was in command of their three-fighter flight. Colonel Fel and his two Imperial Knight bodyguards made up another, and Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, and Ben made up a third unit, flying ahead of the fourth group of Fel's Blue Squadron.

Jaina and Mara had joined them in space, flying Interceptors launched from the _Executor_. They hadn't had time for more than brief greetings before taking up formation, but Jaina had taken the time to share a bit of her experiences on Belkadan with Anakin by way of images and impressions sent through the Force; now he had a rough idea of the unsettling sensation of being able to see the Vong but not sense them, and how to rely on his other senses in combat.

"_All wings, report in,_" Colonel Fel - Blue Leader - said.

"_Blue Two standing by,"_ said Zekk, one of Fel's Imperial Knight bodyguards.

"_Blue Three standing by,_" said Qeris, the other.

"_Blue Four standing by,_" said Jaina.

"Blue Five standing by," Anakin said, stretching his fingers around the controls again.

"_Blue Six standing by._" Jacen.

"_Blue Seven standing by._" Uncle Luke.

"_Blue Eight standing by." _Aunt Mara.

"_Blue Nine standing by."_ Ben.

As the other three pilots of their group checked in, Anakin took a last moment to center himself in the Force. Before today, he had spent all of four minutes in actual space combat behind the controls of a fighter. Even if he couldn't sense his opponents in the Force, he could still use it to bolster his own reflexes and sharpen his senses.

"_Blue Squadron, stay in your shield groups,"_ Qeris said over the comm. "_The Vong have singularity projectors that can disrupt your shield generators, so stay with your unit and use their shields to reinforce your own."_

They were close enough now to see the swarms of Yuuzhan Vong fighters flying ahead of the capital ships, which were roughly analogous to four Star Destroyers and twice that many frigates.

"_All ships clear vector,_" _Executor'_s comm officer said on the main channel. "_Firing in five seconds."_

What Anakin expected was for _Executor_ to open fire with her more than ten thousand weapons emplacements, an impressive sight he knew from old recordings of the former Emperor's flagship in combat.

What happened was that the very tip of _Executor'_s prow slowly split open like a gigantic metal flower, and a green beam of death thicker around than most starships screamed forth into the void to obliterate the largest Yuuzhan Vong vessel and a sizable number of the fighters in front of it.

_Then_ Darth Vader's flagship opened fire with all ten thousand turbolasers, heavy turbolasers, and torpedo launchers. Three of the frigates exploded instantly under the fusillade, two more bloomed with tongues of fire from hull breaches, and one Destroyer-analogue buckled in half after a number of explosions, the two halves drifting away from one another in a cloud of released flash-frozen air and debris.

After that, a battle Anakin had expected to take hours lasted only minutes. _Executor _and_ Azure Flame_ worked in concert, mercilessly pummeling the capital ships with everything they had while their fighters engaged the enemy. _Executor_ disintegrated one of the remaining Destroyer-analogue ships with its super-laser, and both remaining frigates were caught in the explosion.

Afterwards, Anakin remembered little of the chaotic frenzy of the starfighter battle. It passed in a blur for him, dozens of maneuvers, hundreds of shots fired in concert with his siblings and the other pilots, dodging flaming magma projectiles fired by the enemy ships and the occasional outright ramming by a coralskipper pilot, until finally his mother's urgent voice snapped him from his trance-like battle focus.

"Executor,_ the remaining Destroyer appears to be on a collision course for your starboard rear section."_

"_We cannot maneuver out of the way in time, and_ _the super-laser is still recharging,_" Piett replied. "_Ready your tractor beams, _Azure Flame._ We will try to deflect it away with our own tractor beams; pull the vessel further to starboard with yours."_

"_That Destroyer looks different,"_ Aunt Mara observed. "_Look at its forward section; none of the others had that."_

Anakin zeroed in on the Destroyer in question with his sensors and peered at the display. None of the coral-made Yuuzhan Vong ships looked exactly the same, but this Destroyer's prow was definitely shaped much differently than the others had been. It was narrower, and the coral there looked much darker and denser.

Suddenly he realized what it had to be, and he tensed in alarm. "It's a ram!" he said urgently over the main channel. "It's a battering ram!"

"_They're headed for the command section," _Piett said. "_They must intend to cripple the vital systems in this section and possibly board us."_

"_They're accelerating,"_ Leia said. "_We're not going to get there in time."_

"_Divert all auxiliary power to the shields and structural integrity fields in that section," _Darth Vader ordered. "_My squadron will return to the ship and assist in repelling boarders."_

"_You mean you're going to _let_ them hit you?" _Han said incredulously, backed up by a disbelieving roar from Chewbacca in the background.

"_Correct, Solo,"_ Vader replied. "_The _Executor_ is unable to prevent the collision, so the best strategy is to allow it and try to reduce damage as much as possible. This is a weapon the Vong have not deployed against me before, and I wish to study it."_

"_Acknowledged,"_ Han said, managing to convey with that one word just what he thought of that idea.

"_Blue Squadron, head for the docking bay nearest the point of impact,_" Vader went on as the frigate drew inexorably closer to his flagship. "_I will rendezvous with you there and give further orders."_

"_Anyone else really, really hate this plan?_" Mara said over Blue Squadron's private frequency. "_This will make twice in one day Vader's made me fight Vong hand-to-hand when we should just blow them up."_

"_Seconded," _Jaina said.

_Anakin…_

Anakin blinked in surprise. His name hadn't been said over the comm; someone had spoken to him through the Force, an unfamiliar male voice.

_Anakin, you can stop this._

"_Stop what?_" Jacen said, startling Anakin again. Was Jacen hearing this, too?

"_Blue Six, repeat last transmission," _Colonel Fel said.

_Who are you?_ Anakin sent back.

_It can wait,_ the voice 'said' impatiently. _Listen closely; I am in contact with all of the other Jedi, and this will only work if all of you concentrate and do as I say without question. Are you ready?_

_Ready,_ Anakin replied; he heard several of the others say it aloud on the squadron channel.

"_Somebody wanna explain what's going on here?" _Han said. "_Ami, what are you doing up here?_" he continued, having accidentally left the comm toggled.

"_Take us closer to the _Executor_, Uncle Han,_" Ami said distractedly before Han realized his mistake and turned off the mic.

_Focus on your grandfather's vessel,_ the voice instructed Anakin. _Its size is of no consequence; you can move it as easily as you could a small pebble._

"We're gonna push it out of the way?" Anakin said aloud.

"_Blue Five, clarify last transmission," _ Colonel Fel said, annoyance coloring his tone.

Before Anakin could ask any further questions, he felt the Force wrap around him, the familiar sensation of his mother's Battle Meditation, and instinctively Anakin _pushed_, using all the power he could to shove the titanic _Executor_ rapidly away from the diving Yuuzhan Vong vessel.

The Super Star Destroyer rapidly rotated on its axis as it moved back, leaving barely a hundred meters to spare for the Yuuzhan Vong Destroyer to careen past its hull. Even through the trance-like state of the battle meld, Anakin felt some surprise at seeing the gigantic vessel move so quickly, a maneuver it would never have been able to accomplish under its own power. The light of Belkadan's sun flashed off of the hull as _Executor_ rolled, a great cobalt dagger spinning through the inky night.

_Quickly now, fly towards the Destroyer as fast as you can,_ the unfamiliar male voice ordered through the Force. _You're going to cripple its propulsion so the boarding troops can take it intact._

The Jedi fighters flew in perfect formation toward the rapidly spinning Vong Destroyer, which was coming about to position itself for another try. Anakin fired his lasers in concert with the others, confusing the organic artificial singularity generators enough that Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, and Jaina could slip in a few torpedoes and destroy the dovin basals.

Vader's voice boomed from the comm. "_My squadron and I will take the Destroyer. All other ships stand down._"

The battle meld relaxed, and Anakin set his fighter's autopilot to 'recall', too drained even to fly the ship back himself. He slumped back in his seat, mind whirling, still trying to process the events of the last few minutes.

"_Blue Two and Three, I'll be looking forward to your after-action reports on what just happened," _Colonel Fel said, sounding slightly amused but mostly annoyed.

"Azure Flame, _we would appreciate your assistance in stabilizing our orbit,_" Piett said on the main channel. "_We sustained some damage in that… unexpected maneuver, and our main engines are currently offline."_

"_On our way, _Executor," Leia replied.

As his fighter coasted along behind his sister's, headed for the huge blue bulk of _Executor,_ Anakin watched as _Azure Flame,_ tiny in comparison to the monstrous Super Star Destroyer, headed for the prow of the larger vessel and with its tractor beams, took it in tow like a tugboat. Very slowly, _Executor_ halted its rotation and straightened out, firing banks of maneuvering thrusters sporadically until it settled into a high orbit of Belkadan. The gigantic main engines, thicker around than _Azure Flame_ itself, flickered and sputtered briefly before finally fading out altogether.

Watching the giant warship settle ponderously into orbit, Anakin marveled that he and the other Force-users had moved it so quickly. True, Uncle Luke often repeated Master Yoda's lesson on how 'size matters not', as the old Jedi Master had put it, but there was a lot of difference between hearing a lesson and seeing it put into practice.

"_I can't wait to hear the explanation for this," _Jacen said on the squadron's private frequency.

"_Oh, there's a lot of explaining to be done,"_ Aunt Mara said, her voice tinged with irritation.

Anakin leaned back in his seat again and started to put his hands behind his head before he realized it was extremely uncomfortable in his flightsuit and helmet. He settled for closing his eyes, getting what rest he could while he could; he sensed he was shortly going to be very busy for a very long time.

_Who are you?_ he asked the mysterious voice in the Force.

_We will talk when you all come aboard the _Executor_,_ the Jedi replied. _For now, you may call me Revan._

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Yes, <em>that<em> Revan. :D

Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. See you next time!


	5. Knights of the New Republic

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Five<strong>  
>(Knights of the New Republic)<p>

When his mother had left on her mission to Telos two days ago, the last place Ben expected to be reunited with her was in one of the cavernous fighter bays of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor._ Yet, here they were.

Still in her flightsuit, Mara swept her daughter into her arms and kissed the top of Ami's head, then reached over to tousle Ben's hair. She seemed very tired and more than a little angry, though she was doing her best to hide it from them.

Ben's father flicked his fingers through his hair as he approached, helmet still in one hand. Luke leaned in to kiss his wife, then grinned at Ben. "You did very well out there," he said.

"Of course he did," Mara said with a teasing grin at her husband. "He's my son, isn't he?"

"I'd like to think he got some of it from me," Luke said with an amused smile.

Mara, her arm still around Ami, kissed the top of her daughter's head again. "Nope. They got my brains and good looks. Not sure what they got from you."

Ami giggled, and Ben let out a chuckle himself, watching as Luke just shook his head. "If you say so, dear."

Ben saw Luke's smile slowly fade into a frown as he looked at something behind them, and he turned to see Darth Vader stride into the fighter bay, still in full armor. He was followed by a tall rust-brown droid of unfamiliar model with slitted yellow photoreceptors, which kept pace with Vader insistently.

"Annoyed Complaint: Lord Vader, I am an assassination droid of unparalleled skill. My primary function is to burn holes in meatbags my Master wishes removed from the galaxy. It is the height of illogic not to take me with you on a raid against our enemy."

"I do not require your assistance, droid," Vader rumbled without looking at it.

The droid still kept pace. "Insistent Repetition: My primary function is to kill meatbags. I am entirely useless if I remain on board your vessel where there are no meatbags I am allowed to disintegrate."

Vader halted abruptly and turned the full force of his glare upon the droid, his death's-head mask only a few millimeters from the droid's face.

The assassin droid backed up one slow step. "Cautious Placation: Perhaps you did not require my highly specialized skills in this particular skirmish, Lord Vader."

Vader continued to glare silently at the droid, arms crossed over his armored chest.

"I told you to leave him alone, HK," said a woman in blue robes Ben did not recognize, walking into the fighter bay and over to the two of them. "He doesn't seem to like you."

The assassin droid turned to her. "Agreement: Perhaps you are correct, Mistress Jenn. I will make greater effort not to cause Lord Vader irritation in the future. My self-preservation protocols support this course of action."

Vader remained silent, still staring at the droid behind the black lenses of his mask.

The unfamiliar Jedi stepped closer and placed a hand on the droid's elbow. "Why don't you go wait in our quarters for now?"

The droid swiveled its head to look down at her. "Relieved Compliance: I shall do so, Mistress Jenn." With that, he left.

The Jedi turned a cautious glance towards Vader, but he merely turned his head to stare at her.

"I'm, er, going to go over and talk to them now," she said, gesturing to the Skywalker family.

Vader did not reply.

Jenn turned and walked toward them, a slight hurry in her step. Ben barely caught her quiet sigh of relief as she approached. "That's your father, eh?" she said quietly to Luke.

He nodded once.

"Family dinners must be a bit uncomfortable, then," she said with a half-smile.

"We wouldn't know, since we've never had one." Mara replied. She inclined her head ironically. "But I would imagine so."

"Report to the executive conference room at 0700 hours tomorrow morning," Vader boomed over to them. Then he turned and abruptly left, cloak sweeping out behind him.

"Is he always like this?" Jenn asked.

"He used to be worse, if you can believe it," Mara replied.

Ben glanced up as the Solos and Masters Kolos and Solusar approached from where they had been talking over by Jaina's fighter, Colonel Fel and his two Imperial Knights not far behind.

"So when are we going to meet your friend?" Mara asked Jenn as they walked over. "The one with the bright idea during the battle?"

"He's here now," Jaina said, glancing over at the entrance.

Ben looked over to see a tall human man of perhaps forty approaching. His black hair hung down slightly past his shoulders and a thick, neatly trimmed goatee framed his mouth. He, like Jenn, wore robes of the style usually preferred by Jedi, his outer robe and trousers black, his tunic and boots a dark mahogany brown. A chrome and bronze lightsaber hung from his belt at one hip, and as he walked, his robe shifted just enough for Ben to see another lightsaber, its hilt black and gold, clipped at his other side.

As he drew closer, Ben noted a long, slightly curved scar that ran from the corner of the man's right eye - a long-healed burn, perhaps from a lightsaber. The man's dark eyes were penetrating and focused, like those of a predatory bird. He noticed Ben looking at him and glanced at him briefly, then turned his gaze upon the others. Ben sensed the Force strongly radiating from him, more powerful than any other Jedi Ben had sensed save his father and Aunt Leia.

And of course, Darth Vader, Ben mentally amended. His grandfather's presence remained on the edge of his perceptions like an ominous black thunderhead on the horizon, inscrutable except for the faint traces of anger and the Dark Side he felt within it.

"Well done," the man said as he stopped in front of their group, his hands clasped behind his back in a faintly militaristic posture. "Because of our quick action, we saved this vessel from substantial damage and heavy casualties." His tone was one of praise, but his manner was still subdued; Ben sensed in him a very great sadness and no small amount of pain, though he seemed to be trying not to show it.

"You must be Revan," Anakin said. "How did you do that? Contact us like that and help us join our powers, I mean."

Revan looked over at him. "I have commanded many Jedi in war. There is little we cannot accomplish when we work together," he replied. He glanced at Leia. "Particularly when we are aided by someone of your talents. Your Battle Meditation is very well-honed," he said. "You must have a natural aptitude for it."

"I believe so," Leia replied. "When I studied the old Temple records on Battle Meditation, it was as if I instinctively understood it right away."

"You may have been doing it unconsciously before then," Jenn said. "Those talented in Battle Meditation seem to be instinctively drawn to leadership positions."

"Are you by any chance named after the ancient Jedi Master Revan?" Tionne asked. "The hero of the Mandalorian Wars?"

"And former Sith Lord," Revan said solemnly. "I _am_ the man you speak of."

A ripple of surprise passed over the group.

"How is that even possible?" Master Kolos said. "The Mandalorian Wars were almost four thousand years ago!"

"Yes, that's what Darth Vader tells me," Revan said. "My companions and I were trapped in a suspended animation field on a planet in the Unknown Regions; those four thousand years passed for us in an instant."

"I'm still a little surprised nobody found us in all that time," Jenn said. "But, Vader says the system wasn't on any charts, not even the ones he got from the civilizations inside the Unknown Regions. He found us completely by accident while he was looking for something else. Besides that, the temple was long frozen over, and he had to melt the glacier with turbolasers to get to it."

"I understand you're this Order's Grand Master?" Revan said to Luke.

"That's right," Ben's father replied.

"Even if we are four thousand years out of our own time, we are still Jedi," Revan said with a gesture to Jenn. "I suppose we'd better explain things to you, since we'll be working together from now on."

"No offense to your father, but we'd much rather work with you than him," said Jenn.

"I can understand that," Ben's mother said. Mara's tone was light, but Ben could sense now that Vader was the focus of the simmering anger she was trying not to show. Now he was even more curious as to what had happened on Belkadan before he arrived.

"Incredible," Tionne said softly. "I have studied you in the historical records. I would never have imagined I would someday actually be able to speak with you."

"You are the Order's chief historian?" Revan asked her. At her nod, he said, "There are some questions I would like to ask you later." He looked around at the rest of the group. "You are all tired from the battle, and we'll be discussing this in Vader's briefing anyway, so I will leave things until then." He inclined his head slightly and then left, followed by Jenn.

Colonel Fel, who had remained silent throughout the entire discussion, now turned to them. "I need to check in with my ship. I assume you'll all be staying here?" At Aunt Leia's affirming nod, Fel gestured toward the shuttle sitting a few dozen meters away. "Then I will use the control systems in the shuttle you took here to return our fighters to the _Flame_. We will be back for the briefing." He and his two Imperial Knights left, headed for the shuttle.

Mara let out a weary sigh. "What a day," she said. "I'm glad it's over."

"Like tomorrow's gonna be any better," said Uncle Han.

"Don't remind me," Mara groaned.

* * *

><p><em>3,954 years before the Treaty of Alderaan…<em>

A cacophony of alarms blared from all directions in the _Ebon Hawk_'s cockpit. Try as she might, Jenn was unable to silence them.

"I know what's wrong with the damn ship!" she growled in frustration. "Shut up already!"

As if in obedience, everything abruptly went silent.

_Everything_.

In the pilot's seat, Revan glanced back suspiciously at the suddenly silent alarms, then muttered a curse as the remaining systems, even the lights, went completely dead. "Well, that's it," he said into the darkness. "Everything's fried."

Outside the viewports of their starship, the ion storm continued to rage, a silent hurricane of light completely surrounding their vessel. The _Ebon Hawk_ shuddered and creaked under the assault, but otherwise, all was eerily quiet.

Jenn leaned back in her seat with a disgusted sigh. There was nothing to do now except wait until the storm passed, then attempt to repair the ship. Even the droids were offline; HK-47 had toppled over in the corridor just outside the cockpit, and T3-M4 sat in the far corner where he had been thrown after an overload from the computer console had coursed through his systems. The little astromech droid had been trying to do an emergency shutdown of the vital systems to prevent damage from the storm, but he had been just slightly too late.

In the faint flashes of light from the storm, Jenn could see Revan's scowl; he was clearly annoyed with himself at being caught off-guard. They had briefly exited hyperspace to adjust their course, and had dropped out of lightspeed right in the middle of it.

Revan reached into a compartment under his console, then tossed Jenn one of the emergency rebreather masks stored there. "Even the oxygen scrubbers are out, so we're going to need these soon," he said, slipping another into a pocket of his robe.

Jenn peered past the roiling clouds of plasma outside. "That star there looks close; we must be on the edge of its system."

Revan nodded slowly. "If we're lucky, it might have a habitable planet where we can land and make repairs."

"I… sense something," Jenn said, closing her eyes and stretching out to the Force. "It feels… odd. I don't know quite how to describe it."

"I do," Revan said, his voice going at once grim and slightly hopeful. "I've sensed this before; there's Rakatan technology somewhere in this system. Their ancient technology incorporated the Force; whatever it is must still be active and fairly powerful if we can sense it from here."

Jenn glanced sidelong at her companion. "Now why do you make that sound like a bad thing?"

"The Rakata used the Dark Side," Revan said. "And that's what I sense here."

Jenn shrugged; she didn't sense the Dark Side, herself, but then Revan was much stronger with the Force than she was, and more attuned to this sort of thing, anyway. Jenn had heard the stories of the Star Forge and how Revan had used it in his conquest back when he had been a Sith Lord, and then how he had destroyed it after his redemption and return to the Light. But, she had never been near any Rakatan tech, herself, and so didn't know much about it.

She stood. "If you get started on the thrusters," she said to Revan, "I'll work on getting the droids back online."

[...]

Several frustrating hours later, the four of them had managed to get only a few systems back online: the air, the sensors - albeit at extremely limited capacity - and one of the main engines at only twelve percent power. The hyperdrive was completely fried, and would need to be essentially rebuilt in order to get them anywhere.

"Some good news," Revan said as he came back into the cockpit, wiping his hands on a rag. "I was able to use some of the parts from my ship to patch up the engine, but that's all we're going to get out of it. At least I was able to use it for something." He tossed the rag into a corner. "T3 and HK are continuing with the repairs, but I don't know what else they're going to be able to do."

"Some more good news," Jenn replied from the copilot's seat. "The sensors are still glitchy, but I think I figured out where that power source we're sensing is. It's coming from one of the moons of the third gas giant. The moon's got only minimal atmosphere, so we'd better break out the cold-weather gear if we're going to go outside."

Revan looked over her shoulder at the readings. "It's going to take us almost three days to get there with the limited engine power we've got. I don't think the oxygen scrubbers are going to last that long." His lips quirked in a wry half-smile beneath his shaggy beard. "I don't know whether you're good or bad luck, Jenn. You finally find me after I spend three years marooned on a worthless uncharted planet, but not even a full day after you do, we're going to be stuck on another one."

Jenn smirked. "Ion storms must like you."

Revan let out a bitter chuckle. "Apparently." He dropped into the passenger chair behind her. "I think we should both go into hibernation trances to conserve our air, but before then, I have some questions I want to ask you."

"They're doing fine," Jenn said, correctly guessing what was on his mind. She turned in her chair and set her arm over the back, then rested her chin on her forearm. "I saw Bastila and your daughter just before I went looking for you."

Revan smiled. "She had a girl, then?"

Jenn smiled back. "Bastila named her Varen, after you."

Revan sighed as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "I never meant to be away this long," he said quietly. "I had hoped to be back before our child was born. When that storm disabled my ship and I crashed… the only thing that kept me going was the determination to see them again."

"She's sure you're still alive," Jenn said. "She never gave up hope."

"And now here I am again," Revan said, giving the bulkhead next to him a frustrated kick. "And once again, no one knows where I am. My friends all have more important things to do in the Republic, which is why I didn't tell them where I was going. They can't afford to come looking for me." He glanced over at her. "For us."

"I had to do the same thing," Jenn said. "The war against Malak all but destroyed the Jedi Order, and Nihilus and Sion very nearly finished the job. From what Kreia told me of the true Sith, I knew my apprentices were better off staying behind to rebuild, even though I know we could use their help."

"Kreia?" Revan said curiously. "Do you mean Arren Kae?"

"I never met Kae personally during the Mandalorian Wars," Jenn said, "but yes, I'm certain that's who Kreia really was. I didn't find out until it was almost too late why she hid her true identity from me and the others." Jenn sighed, resting her chin even more heavily on her forearm. "And her daughter."

"You met the child she had with Yusanis?" Revan asked, surprised.

Jenn nodded. "Brianna. She traveled with us after we met her at Atris' hiding place on Telos. Kreia told me a bit about Kae which helped me persuade Brianna to accept Jedi training, and I taught her alongside the others. By the time I figured out Kreia _was_ Kae, I had also realized that Brianna idealized her mother and was better off thinking Kae was dead, not knowing what she eventually became."

Revan brought one hand up to stroke the sides of his beard. "A Sith," he said grimly.

Jenn nodded again. "She even admitted it to me not long after we met. I should have known better than to trust her, but I needed her help against the other two Sith Lords, Sion and Nihilus. I thought she had given up the Dark Side, but I was wrong."

"Kae fooled me, too," Revan said. "I don't think I ever saw her for who she truly was."

"Whatever her other motives, she did send me to help you," Jenn said. "I wouldn't have even known where to look if not for her. It still took us two months of searching to finally pick up your signal, though."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Revan said. "Why did you bring the droids with you?"

"I needed T3 to help with the ship, and he was the only one who knew where you'd gone after you left," Jenn answered. "And somehow HK-47 found out that I was planning to go look for you, and he insisted on coming along." She chuckled lightly. "He even went so far as to hide in that shielded compartment in the cargo hold after I dropped everyone else off on Dantooine. I didn't even know he was on the ship until he walked around a corner three days into the flight and scared me half to death."

"Amused Remembrance: As I recall, Mistress Jenn, you nearly decapitated me with your lightsaber. It is fortunate for us all that you were unsuccessful," HK-47 said as he walked into the cockpit. He turned to Revan. "Frustrated Report: Master Revan, the astromech droid and I are unable to further repair the engines. He is currently attempting to bring the shields back online in order to improve our chances for survival during our inevitable crash landing."

"Inevitable?" Revan said, looking up at the assassin droid.

"Confirmation: Yes, Master, inevitable. Even if we both work without pausing during the three days before we come within range of our destination, it is highly improbable that the astromech and I would be able to repair the reactor enough to provide sufficient power to the thrusters in order to land as delicately as meatbags generally prefer."

Revan smiled fondly at the droid as he stood. "All right, then. Jenn and I are going to go into hibernation trances to conserve air. Wake us a few hours before we land."

"Correction: Crash, Master. We will most definitely be crashing in spectacular fashion."

"Well, see what you can do in the meantime to keep it from being too spectacular," Revan said with a wry smile. "We do want to eventually repair the ship and leave."

HK swiveled his head slightly, as close as he could come to an affirming nod. "Determined Statement: I shall do my best, Master. In the meantime, I will seal the starboard dormitory behind you and reroute the oxygen scrubbers to it. If you both remain in a state of hibernation, there should be just enough to sustain you until our 'landing'." He paused for a moment, looking first at Revan, then at Jenn. "Statement: I believe meatbags customarily wish one another 'pleasant dreams' in situations such as this."

Revan and Jenn exchanged an amused glance as they walked down the corridor into the main hold, which was, like the rest of the ship, only dimly lit by emergency chemical lights.

"Thank you, HK," Revan said as they walked past the docking hatch and into the starboard dormitory.

HK-47 paused in the doorway to the dormitory. "Pleasantry: May you dismember your enemies in your dreams, Masters." With that, he shut the door, and Jenn heard the hiss as he sealed off the compartment.

Jenn turned to Revan. "Did you program him like that, or did he just end up that way?"

Revan smirked. "A little of both."

Jenn stretched out on her bunk without even taking off her outer robe or boots, wanting to be ready to go as soon as HK woke them.

* * *

><p>When Jenn awoke, the first thing she realized was that she was definitely not in her bunk. She smelled something burning, and felt an odd warm pressure over her entire body, with something rough and leathery pressed against her cheek. It was very dark, and she sensed she was in a tightly enclosed space.<p>

"Jenn," Revan's muffled voice said from somewhere by her feet. "Jenn, wake up."

"I'm awake," she mumbled groggily. The leathery something pressing into her face moved slightly, and she recoiled reflexively, banging her head on something metal behind her. She shoved at the leathery object with her hands.

"That's my foot," Revan said. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't kick me in the chin again."

"Oh, sorry," Jenn said, shifting uncomfortably. "Where are we?"

"The shielded secret compartment in the cargo hold, I think," Revan replied. "And don't ask me why, because I don't know."

Almost as soon as Revan finished speaking, the metal panel just above Jenn's face lifted away to reveal HK-47, who was scorched in several places and whose left arm was motionless at his side, periodically sparking from the elbow.

"Relieved Realization: You are both awake and able to move under your own power again. This is excellent! Urgent Command: Follow me outside as quickly as you are able, Masters. There is a dangerous build-up of highly toxic fumes in this vessel."

The acrid sting of chemical smoke made Jenn's eyes water, and she coughed violently before using the Force technique Kreia had taught her to hold her breath over long periods of time. She crawled out of the compartment and ran after HK-47, Revan a step behind, until they came to the garage, which was open to the elements and freezing cold, snow streaming inside under the force of a biting wind.

Jenn drew her robe around herself and pulled up her hood, glad she was wearing at least light gloves. Revan did the same, and they crawled out of the garage door, which looked as if it had been wrenched open. The entire vessel was at an odd slant, and once they stumbled outside, Jenn saw why; the _Ebon Hawk_ had crashed into a large snow-drift, and was half-buried beneath kicked-up ice and snow. Smoke billowed from the forward section and the engine compartment.

"Statement: There is an enclosed structure approximately one hundred fifty meters south of our current position," HK shouted, his voice amplified over the howling wind. "Confident Statement: If we hurry, we will reach it before either of you are adversely affected by the nearly nonexistent atmosphere of this moon."

"Let's go!" Revan shouted back.

Both of them holding their breath against air so cold it would have seared their lungs, Jenn and Revan ran as fast as they could for the barely-visible spires of a huge stone temple which was almost half-buried in snow. The snow was hip-deep in places, and Jenn stumbled once before Revan caught her and pulled her along.

HK-47 had surged ahead, and by the time they reached him, he had dug out the door of the temple and pushed it slightly open. HK's servomotors strained and whined as he struggled to hold the door open.

"Urgent Command: Hurry through! I cannot hold this door for long!"

It was a tight squeeze, but both of them made it through, and Revan snatched HK inside the temple with the Force before the door could crush him.

The air was much warmer in the temple, though still not far above freezing. Jenn slowly let out the breath she had been holding, watching it make a silvery cloud above her head before dissipating. She cautiously drew in another, ignoring the cold sting in her lungs.

"Wait!" she said. "Where's T3?"

HK-47 swiveled his head to look at her. "Regretful Statement: He did not survive the crash, Mistress Jenn. When we neared this moon, T3-M4 remained at the controls to guide our descent as much as he could while I secured the two of you in the compartment in the cargo hold where you would be most likely to survive the crash relatively unharmed. Explanation: The oxygen scrubbers suffered a power failure, and the level of toxic fumes was too high to risk awakening you at the planned time.

"Praise: The astromech droid commendably saved your lives, Masters, at the expense of his own. He was able to angle our descent so that we landed close to the structure we detected, but he was destroyed upon impact."

Jenn sighed, sinking down onto a low stone bench at one side of the entryway. T3-M4 had saved her life and those of her companions more than once, and without him, she wouldn't have known even where to begin searching for Revan. "Damn," she said softly.

Revan, too, let out a sad sigh. The three of them remained quiet for a moment.

HK broke the silence. "Statement: My sensors have determined that the generator powering the lights and heating conduits which keep the interior of this structure free of ice is approximately three hundred meters to the southwest and forty meters down from our present position. Offer: If you wish to remain here, I will investigate."

"No," said Revan. "We'd better stay together." He turned to Jenn. "Come on," he said gently.

Jenn stood and brushed the snow off of her shoulders. "Let's go," she said, shaking the remaining flakes from her hood. She drew her lightsaber and ignited it, holding it aloft like a torch. In the strong light from her cyan blade, she was able to make out more detail of the room in which they had found themselves.

The entryway was wrought in stone, elegantly crafted but reserved, the ceilings low, only slightly above two meters, which was likely to conserve heat. Two large statues set in alcoves roughly halfway down the length of the room were bent as if supporting the ceiling, carved in the shape of amphibian-looking humanoid aliens with large domed heads, eyestalks jutting out horizontally on either side just above their jaw.

"It's definitely a Rakatan structure," Revan said, gesturing to the statues. "Which makes it at least twenty-five thousand years old."

HK-47 looked up at the statues and around at the hall. "Impressed Observation: It is remarkably well-preserved despite its extreme antiquity and the harshness of the local climate."

"Most Rakatan technology is self-repairing," Revan said. "If we can find some maintenance droids, we can send them to go fix the ship while we wait in here."

HK swiveled his head to look at Revan. "Query: Master, do you think this outpost is in some way related to the Star Forge? Addendum: The temple we explored on the Rakatan homeworld was constructed with similar self-repairing technology. Its purpose, if you will recall, was to keep any ships that came into the system from leaving. Supposition: It is possible that the ion storm we encountered was not naturally formed, and was in fact generated by this outpost to disable our vessel and prevent our interference with whatever it is concealing."

"That's quite a supposition, considering we've only explored the first room," Jenn remarked.

HK turned to her. "Explanation: The power source my sensors are picking up is quite powerful, far more powerful than necessary to maintain the lights and heating coils. In order to necessitate a generator of that magnitude, whatever is concealed in the lower levels of this temple must be massive indeed." He turned back to Revan. "Query: Master, do you have any ideas as to what might be concealed here? Addendum: You consulted extensively with the surviving members of the Rakata race on several occasions."

Revan frowned, looking up at the walls. Jenn looked, also. Unfortunately, they were devoid of markings and offered no clues.

"Knowing the ancient Rakata, it's probably some sort of weapon," Revan said thoughtfully. "Let's keep going."

Together, they explored several more rooms, but found no further clues as to the function of the outpost. Jenn found a computer console in one, but not even Revan could get it to activate.

Eventually they entered a large square room, perhaps thirty meters on a side, which was dominated by a tremendous Rakatan statue on the rear wall. It held between its hands a brightly glowing globe, one which seemed to radiate heat as well as light. Jenn lowered her hood, glad to finally find a room that was actually warm.

"What is that?" she asked. "It looks like a model of a sun."

Revan stared at it thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," he said, taking a step closer.

"Alarm!" HK-47 shouted as he did so. "Warning: I am detecting the activation of-"

The room seemed to slow and freeze around Jenn as she turned for the exit. There was a terrible feeling of straining against something immensely powerful, a crushing grip which she could not escape.

[...]

Then, with a feeling of overwhelming disorientation, a tall black-armored man and a dozen white-armored soldiers suddenly appeared behind them in the entryway to the large room. The black-armored man, his deep mechanical breathing echoing from the walls, stood with one hand pointed at a spot above Jenn's head, and the troopers closest to him stood with their rifles aimed in that direction.

"-what seem to be energy projectors in the corners of this room," HK's voice finished behind her. "Surprised Observation: They seem to have either self-destructed or been destroyed."

Fighting past the wave of disorientation and accompanying nausea, Jenn snatched her lightsaber from her belt and ignited it, dropping into a defensive stance. "Who are you?" she called warily.

Behind her, she heard the double _snap-hiss_ of Revan igniting his own weapons, the blue lightsaber he had constructed as a Jedi and the red Sith lightsaber he had obtained in the tomb of Naga Sadow on Korriban.

"Threat: Identify yourselves, meatbags, or I will blast a large hole through the vital organs of your leader," HK-47 said behind her, his rifle whining ominously.

"Stop!" the black-armored man boomed in a commanding basso rumble. "We are not here to harm you."

Jenn did not recognize the configuration of either the commander's armor or that of his troops. What she did recognize was the gleaming chrome-plated lightsaber that hung from the commander's belt, which meant he was either Jedi - which was highly unlikely, considering the intimidating design of his armor - or a Sith.

The tall commander turned his death's-head mask to Jenn, staring directly at her. She felt an incredibly powerful will, stronger even than Revan's, burning in the eyes hidden by the black lenses of his helmet. "Stop," he said again, more quietly but with a warning undertone. Jenn could feel that not only could he sense her drawing the Force to herself, he was willing to respond with an overwhelming counterattack if he had to. "I will say again: we are not here to harm you."

"You're Sith," Revan said tautly. "I find that hard to believe."

"The Sith themselves would not term me one of them," the dark man said. He gestured subtly with one gloved hand, and the white-armored soldiers lowered their weapons. "Once I was known as Anakin Skywalker. You might know me as Darth Vader."

"Never heard of you," Jenn said. " 'Darth', I know. You _are_ a Sith Lord."

"I was," the dark man admitted. "But not, perhaps, anymore."

"Not anymore?" Revan said skeptically. "I sense the Dark Side in you."

Darth Vader crossed his arms nonchalantly. "I was a Jedi, and I was a Sith. I am both and I am neither. Such distinctions are no longer important to me." He glanced between them. "Now that I have told you my name, it is only courteous you tell me yours."

Jenn sensed curiosity from the dark man, but not threat or malicious intent. She closed down her lightsaber and returned it to her belt. "I am Jennyrija Talmak, a Jedi Master."

"I, in turn, have never heard of you," Vader said thoughtfully. "And I knew all the Masters of the old Jedi Order."

"Identification: I am HK-47, assassination droid of unparalleled skill," HK said beside her. "Warning: If you make any sort of threatening moves toward either of my Masters, Darth Vader, I shall activate my assassination protocols at once."

Revan finally closed down his lightsabers and put them away. "Revan," he said brusquely. "Now what are you doing here?"

"Revan," Vader repeated, ignoring his question. "Named, perhaps, after the ancient Sith Lord Darth Revan?"

"Ancient_?_" Jenn said, surprised. "You have a funny way of measuring time if six years is ancient to you."

"Darth Revan lived nearly four thousand years ago," Vader replied.

"Incredulous Repetition: Four _thousand _years?" HK-47 raised his rifle. "Request: Master Revan, permit me to blast this meatbag for such an obvious attempt at trickery."

Revan placed a hand on the barrel of HK's rifle and pushed it down. "Stand down, HK," he said. "I don't sense that he's lying."

"What is the current year?" Vader asked. Upon Jenn's reply, he said, "By one of the old calendar forms, that is some three thousand nine hundred and seventy years before the actual current year." He glanced up at the smoking ruin of the shining globe in the statue's hands. "As I suspected, you were indeed ensnared in a suspended animation field, and had been for quite some time."

"That… That can't be right," Revan said, and Jenn sensed his shock in the Force. "Four thousand years?"

Static crackled from something on Darth Vader's belt suddenly. "_Lord Vader, our long-range sensors have detected a Yuuzhan Vong battle group on the edges of this system," _a crisp, regimented voice said. "_We believe they have detected us, as they appear to be retreating._"

"We are on our way," Vader replied. "Prepare to follow them; we leave as soon as my shuttle is aboard." He looked over at Jenn, Revan, and HK-47. "My investigation of this structure will have to wait for another time. You will come with us."

"We don't even know who you are!" Jenn said, taking a step back.

"As you wish," Vader said impatiently. He raised a gloved hand to point at them. "I warn you, though: I may not return here for some time. If the wreckage we found outside was once your vessel, you have no other way to leave."

Jenn looked over at Revan, brows lifting in silent query.

_If he's lying, we can escape later,_ he sent through the Force.

_If he's not?_ Jenn asked. _If we are four thousand years in the future?_

_One step at a time,_ Revan sent back grimly.

As they moved to join Vader's group, the dark man nodded fractionally, as if he had expected this. He pressed a button on his belt comm. "Deploy a security shield over this area," he ordered someone on his ship. "I do not want it damaged or interfered with before we return."

"_Yes, Lord Vader,"_ the officer replied.

Vader gestured to the corridor behind him. "My shuttle is just outside."

Revan and Jenn followed immediately, but she noted that HK-47 briefly stayed behind for a parting shot at the already-destroyed generator which had imprisoned them.

* * *

><p>The three of them studied the <em>Executor's<em> astrogation charts and databanks during the massive warship's hyperspace pursuit of Vader's enemy, and were eventually forced to conclude that they were indeed four thousand years out of their own time. Even if Vader was a Sith Lord, he seemed to have no immediate interest in them besides curiosity, and everything else aboard his ship was far too elaborate and detailed to be some sort of deception.

The historical records in _Executor'_s databanks were frustratingly vague concerning their own era; though she combed through everything she could find on the period, Jenn could find no specific details on the fate of most of their friends. From mentions of a 'Satele Shan' several hundred years later, it appeared Revan's wife and child had lived to pass on his family line.

Revan, as Jenn had expected, figured prominently in the accounts of the Mandalorian Wars and his later conquests as a Sith Lord. The accounts said that after his redemption and defeat of his former ally Darth Malak, Revan disappeared into the Unknown Regions, never to be seen again.

There were some details in Vader's copies of the Jedi Temple records - a number of them wrong - of Jenn's own recent-to-her fight against the Sith Triumvirate, but apparently, her name had not survived history. Jenn was referred to only as 'the Jedi Exile' in the account, with an apology by someone named Chief Librarian Hssk'La that he had been unable to find anything more specific in the surviving records from the period. Later accounts explained that the Sith had once invaded Coruscant and a substantial portion of the Jedi records had been destroyed in the battle.

It was a bit surreal and more than a little unsettling to Jenn to see the details of her life referred to as ancient history, speculated on by historians. To her it seemed that only a few weeks ago she had taken reluctant leave of her companions; now she was forced to accept that not only would she never see them again, they were all so long dead that most of their lives would remain a permanent mystery to her.

As Jenn had feared, Revan took the drastic change in their circumstances much harder than she did. He locked himself in the quarters Vader gave him and refused to speak to anyone for days. Jenn tried to approach him through the Force a few times, but he rebuffed her each time, firmly stating that he wished to be alone.

More to distract herself than anything else, Jenn devoted her attention during Vader's pursuit of his enemy's fleet to the circumstances of this modern era. Her distrust of their host was deepened when she found out that not only had Vader once been a Sith Lord, he had in fact been largely responsible for the destruction of the Jedi Order and had ruled the galaxy as Emperor for more than twenty years.

Her suspicions were mollified somewhat when Jenn learned Vader had abdicated and allowed the Galactic Civil War to come to a peaceful end while he focused on preparing for the coming invasion by the Yuuzhan Vong. But still, Jenn did not quite trust Darth Vader, and decided to persuade Revan to find a way to leave his ship as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>After the ground battle on Belkadan, when she had fought the Yuuzhan Vong herself and had faced their unsettling absence from the Force, Jenn showered and changed back into her usual robes aboard the <em>Jade Sabre,<em> which was docked in one of _Executor_'s cavernous hangar bays_._ She was meditating in one of the chairs in the _Sabre_'s lounge, trying to dispel her lingering uneasiness from the battle, when she was surprised by Revan's voice in her mind.

_We need to talk,_ he sent.

_I'll be right there,_ Jenn replied.

She excused herself and hurried to his quarters, where she found him at the wall-spanning viewport, staring down at the green globe of Belkadan below them. Reassuringly, Revan looked rested and composed; his hair was combed and tied back out of his face, he'd trimmed his shaggy beard back to a goatee, and he wore clean new robes he had procured from somewhere.

"I've been studying these Far Outsiders, or Yuuzhan Vong, as they call themselves," he said without preamble as Jenn entered the main room of his quarters. "They've been scouting out our galaxy for a very long time, Jenn." He turned to look at her, and his expression was grave. "Possibly even as far back as our own time. Canderous once told me a story about a ship he and his comrades encountered out on the Outer Rim, and it matches the description of a Yuuzhan Vong ship."

Jenn nodded as she moved to stand next to him at the viewport. "He told me the same story. I've been thinking about it, too."

"You've just come from fighting them," Revan said. "Tell me about the battle."

As Jenn described the fight on Belkadan, she saw Revan grow increasingly thoughtful, and he frowned more than once as she described Vader's actions.

"I don't want to work with him," Jenn said plainly once she was done. "I know he's got the knowledge, experience, and firepower to fight these Vong, but he's too bloodthirsty. The Jedi Master I worked with, Mara Jade Skywalker, was once his apprentice, but she left him during the last war because his tactics were too brutal. She had a bit of a shouting match with Vader once she realized he'd just brought us down there because he wanted an up-close-and-personal fight with the Vong, and I agree with her."

"For whatever reason, Vader wants to kill as many Yuuzhan Vong with his own hands as he can," Revan agreed. "His skills with the Force and as a military commander are considerable, but you are right; he is bloodthirsty." He frowned. "Unfortunately, against an enemy like this, you almost need to be bloodthirsty." He met her eyes again. "The Yuuzhan Vong are worse than the Mandalorians, Jenn. They're fanatics; they view our very civilization as an insult to their gods, and if they can't enslave people, they're just going to kill them."

Jenn leaned against the thick transparisteel viewport, crossing her arms over her stomach. "So what should we do?"

Revan drew himself up, looking determinedly down at the planet below. "We'll fight them, just like we fought the Mandalorians," he said. "You and I may be millennia out of our own time, but these people need us, Jenn. They've never fought an enemy like this before; we have. We know what it's going to cost. We know what's going to have to be done to achieve victory."

Jenn rested her head against the cool viewport, thinking of that last terrible battle at Malachor and everything it had cost her, the uncounted lives she had taken with the Mass-Shadow Generator in order to finally defeat the Mandalorians.

The searing, soul-burning agony of all those lives extinguished in an instant because of her, pain so great she had instinctively cut herself off from the Force to protect herself from it.

The ten years it had taken to finally regain her connection to the Force.

The lingering traces of thousands of voices crying out in terror, then suddenly silenced, still radiating from Malachor V, forcing her to sense again what she had done when she walked upon its surface years later.

The confusion and hurt on the faces of her companions when she told them she had to leave them behind and might never see them again, and that it was now their responsibility to work with Bastila and the handful of other survivors to rebuild the Jedi Order and make the Republic strong again.

"Yes," Jenn said quietly. "Yes, we do."

Revan reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. "There is no way to get back, Jenn," he said solemnly, and she knew he was speaking as much to himself as to her. "We can either give in to despair, or we can do what Jedi should, and protect the people of this galaxy from those who would seek to harm them. Four thousand years hasn't made a difference in that."

Jenn nodded once, then straightened, squaring her shoulders. "You're right," she said.

Revan smirked, a trace of his old mischievous humor glinting in his dark eyes. "Of course," he said. "I'm always right."

"_Battle Alert!"_ the intercom blared suddenly, accompanied by whooping sirens. "_Incoming enemy fleet! All hands to battle stations! Repeat, all hands to battle stations!"_

"Wait." Revan placed a hand on Jenn's elbow when she turned to leave. "There's a very powerful Jedi on that ship," he said with a gesture toward the recently arrived Star Destroyer. "She's already starting to use Battle Meditation; I can work with this." He looked over at Jenn. "Stay here and help me; I need to see every aspect of the battle that I can."

Together, they raced through the corridors to _Executor_'s bridge.

* * *

><p>The next day, every seat around the executive conference table in <em>Executor<em>'s command section was filled. Jenn sat next to Revan near one end of the long oval table, listening as Vader laid out the current state of the war effort. Vader's Vanguard Fleet and the Chiss military were keeping the Vong forces back for now, but in Vader's estimation the enemy's numbers would almost triple with the arrival of their main fleet near the end of the month.

During his twenty-year campaign in the Unknown Regions, Vader and his allies had managed to keep the Yuuzhan Vong from gaining any significant amount of territory, but due to the sheer numbers and persistence of the enemy, had been unable to drive them back entirely.

As he described some of the battles he and his chief strategist Thrawn had fought against the Yuuzhan Vong, Jenn developed a further respect for Darth Vader; she had fought in the Mandalorian Wars for three years, while Vader himself had been involved in equally brutal fighting since his early twenties, nearly half a century of fighting full-scale wars with few breaks.

Vader had played both aggressor and defender in these wars, and as he spoke, Jenn sensed that he fought with equal ferocity in either case. But she could tell that the last twenty years had taken a toll on him; a relentless fight, for that long, against a fanatical enemy with seemingly inexhaustible numbers would be enough to drive some into madness. Vader himself just seemed tired, grimly determined to win this one last war even if it cost him everything he had.

"We have refined our weapons and tactics considerably, though the Yuuzhan Vong have done the same in recent years," Vader was saying, pacing back and forth at the head of the table. His silver-trimmed black uniform and gray beard gave Vader a sort of grim dignity, Jenn thought, as opposed to the raw intimidation and menace he radiated in his armor.

"Do all your SSDs have that super-laser now?" Mara asked from the seat on Jenn's other side.

"Just the _Executor,_" Vader replied. "The fighting has been so intense recently that we cannot afford to take any of Vanguard Fleet's Super Star Destroyers out of commission long enough to install them. We currently have three _Eclipse-_class vessels and five SSDs which form the heavy artillery of our various fleets and squadrons, as well as over a hundred Star Destroyers and twice that many Chiss vessels." He frowned, the silvery whiskers around his mouth bristling. "I had hoped to have many times that number by now, but the Vong managed to destroy several of our shipyards some years ago, and we have had difficulty securing the resources needed to rebuild them."

"Nearly all of the Unknown Regions are a war zone," Piett said from his seat at the head of the table, just on Revan's other side. "Much of the Chiss fleet is tied up just in escorting refugee columns to systems we've secured. The Yuuzhan Vong have rendered entire systems uninhabitable during some of our battles with them. Often, if it appears they are about to lose a battle, they will concentrate on destroying as much of the planet they are occupying as they can instead of allowing us to take it back from them."

"Their numbers are the main problem," Vader said. "We have learned ways of countering most of their battle tactics over the years, but as I said earlier, they already outnumber our forces and will shortly overrun our defenses with the arrival of their main fleet. This is why it is fortuitous I have encountered the two of you," he said with a glance at Jenn and Revan. "In the records of your era, there are numerous mentions of the Star Forge, an ancient space station built by one of the pre-Republic empires."

Vader looked back at the rest of the group. "The Star Forge was an immense factory. It drew upon the power of the star which it orbited and the Force in order to mass-produce warships very quickly. Darth Revan used the Star Forge in his conquest of the Republic." He turned back to Revan. "Since you have actually used the Star Forge, you will be able to help me find it."

"I'm sorry you've been looking for it," Revan said calmly, though Jenn could sense an undercurrent of stronger emotion. "It was destroyed after I defeated Malak; you've been wasting your time."

Vader scowled. "That is… unfortunate." He rested his hands on the back of his chair. "The latest scouting reports put the strength of the Vong fleet at more than twice the Imperial and Republic militaries combined. Without some way to drastically increase our numbers quickly, it is inevitable that we will be overrun."

"I don't know about that," Han Solo said from his seat near the opposite end of the table. "You seemed to do pretty good with just two capital ships in that battle yesterday. If you can fight like that, two-to-one odds don't seem so bad."

Vader seemed to be about to make a caustic reply when one of Colonel Fel's Imperial Knights - Qeris, Jenn thought her name was - entered the room and handed Fel a datapad. Fel perused it quickly, then looked up at Vader.

"Excuse me, Lord Vader, but you may want to hear this," he said.

"What is it?" Vader asked.

Colonel Fel held up the datapad. "My ship just received a transmission from Coruscant; apparently they've arrested a man whose ship violated Palace airspace. He says his name is Galen Marek, and keeps insisting that he be allowed to speak with Master Skywalker or Mara Jade."

Jenn noticed that Vader and Mara had nearly identical reactions to this news; carefully veiled surprise mixed with something approaching dread. Luke Skywalker frowned thoughtfully, as if trying to remember something that had happened some time ago.

"DNA scan confirms, sir," Fel said. "He _is_ Galen Marek, better known as Darth Nova."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: (a bit of a long one, sorry) The recent release of the '<em>Revan<em>' novel means I need to do some explaining here. I outlined this story from beginning to end almost a year and a half ago, while I was writing the last few chapters of '_One Missed Strike, Part III_', and I've been working on it since then. Since the last part of '_KotOR II_', even with cut content restored, is a bit vague, I had to fill in the blanks myself when it came to Revan and the Exile.

'_Revan_' fills in those blanks officially, (as well as making everything Kreia says about the True Sith make sense finally) albeit in a different way than I had. When I read it, I was quite pleased to see how much I'd guessed right. It is, amusingly, pure coincidence that Drew Karpyshyn and I describe Revan's physical appearance almost identically; that got a big grin out of me. I also guessed that Revan married and had a child with Bastila, (though canonically she had a son instead of a daughter; I used an anagram of his name as a nod to the official version) and that Revan had been trapped somewhere since shortly after he left, meaning the Exile would have to go rescue him before they began working together.

But, as those of you who have read '_Revan_' know, there the similarities end between 'canon' and this story. Obviously 'Jennyrija Talmak' is not the Exile's canonical name. That name was suggested by the random name generator on one of my games of '_KotOR II_' a few years ago, and I liked it so much I decided to keep it for any fanfic I might write. I've been thinking of her the way she's described in this story for a long time and I didn't feel like changing my characterization; fellow KotOR fanfic writers know the feeling, I'm sure.

I have incorporated some minor elements of the official version into my outline that are useful to this story (particularly the parts about the True Sith that explain Revan and Malak's fall to the Dark Side), but otherwise I'm going to stick to what I came up with myself. This is an AU, after all. I suppose that makes this the last of the old KotOR-related fanfics, not the first of the new. ;)

Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!


	6. Investigations

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Six<strong>  
>(Investigations)<p>

"Impossible!" Mara said hotly, leaning forward in her seat to place both hands on the shiny black conference table. "I shot Darth Nova myself. I _know_ he's dead!"

"We sensed his death in the Force," Luke agreed with a gesture to his father and Malysa. "And there was no way he could have escaped Korriban even if he had survived Mara's shot."

Jag Fel slid the datapad across the table to Mara. "Read it for yourself," he said. "They ran the DNA scan three times to be sure before they called the _Flame._ My father thought you all would want to know."

Mara read the report quickly. The man who claimed to be Galen Marek had been arrested after his vessel - a SoroSuub fighter of a model not on file in company records - had unexpectedly appeared over the Imperial Palace sixteen standard hours ago. Security camera footage showed the man's vessel appearing quite suddenly, as if he had switched off a cloaking device, though none was found in the inspection.

Upon his arrest, Marek had demanded to know who the arresting officers were, oddly claiming to have never heard of the Empire, and repeatedly insisted on speaking with either Master Skywalker or Mara. As she read, Mara's eyes widened when she realized the 'Master Skywalker' this Marek was referring to was in fact _Anakin_ Skywalker, not her husband Luke.

But the most surprising detail was further down in the report than Fel had apparently read.

"What is it?" Luke said concernedly, having sensed her shock.

Mara silently angled the datapad towards him, and nodded once when Luke's eyebrows rose in surprise and he glanced up at her.

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Han said curiously.

"According to this," Mara said, holding up the datapad, "this person claiming to be Galen Marek says Anakin Skywalker was his Jedi Master. Not Sith, _Jedi._ When they asked him if he meant Darth Vader, he said he'd never heard that name before."

That apparently clinched things for Vader. "Colonel Fel, I would like to investigate this personally. I will accompany you back to Coruscant aboard your vessel while the repairs to _Executor_ are being completed."

"I'm coming, too," Mara said. "If this is Darth Nova, I'd be more than happy to kill him again. If it's a clone, I want to know where it came from."

"I assume you'll be busy with this for a few days?" Revan asked.

"At least two or three, including travel time there and back," Fel confirmed.

Revan leaned forward to place his forearms on the table and clasped his hands together. "Then while you're away, I'll go back to the temple where Vader found us. I want to finish exploring it and find out what's hidden in the lower levels."

Vader nodded briskly. "I will loan you a hyperspace-capable troop carrier and a platoon of stormtroopers for security."

"If you do not mind, Master Revan," said Tionne, "I would like to accompany you. I would like to interview you and Master Talmak about your adventures, since our current records about you are incomplete and possibly inaccurate."

Jenn gave the silvery-haired historian a friendly smile. "Of course."

"We all have preparations to make," Vader said. "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, shortly after the Masters Skywalker left with Darth Vader and Colonel Fel aboard the <em>Azure Flame,<em> Jenn found herself following a faint impression in the Force deep into the lower levels of the _Executor_. With so many Force-sensitive individuals on board at the moment, she had at first dismissed the impression as an echo of one of the Skywalkers, since all of them were unusually powerful.

But the more she concentrated on it, the more convinced Jenn became that she was sensing someone she hadn't yet met. In fact, the presence was faint and vague, reminding her of the way Atton or Mira or Bao-Dur had felt in the Force to her before she had realized they were Force-sensitive.

As she walked down the severe, harshly lit gray-and-black corridors, Jenn spread her senses through the Force, trying to better determine the direction of the unknown individual. She passed Imperial troops in their gray and black uniforms or white stormtrooper armor, noting their veiled curiosity; her blue robes broke up the monochromatic corridors of the massive warship in a way that naturally drew the eye, to say nothing of the fact that Jedi were clearly rare guests on Vader's vessel.

Jenn sensed one of the Skywalker clan nearby as she walked down a gently sloping corridor leading to a lower level. She nearly bumped into Jacen Solo as they both rounded a corner at the same time, and by the almost-frown of concentration on his face, Jenn thought he might also be looking for the mysterious presence in the Force.

"I thought that was you," Jacen said with a smile, reaching up to flip a lock of unruly brown hair out of his eyes with a thumb. His smile faded. "You sense it, too, don't you?"

Jenn nodded. "It's no one you know, either?"

Jacen shook his head. "No. And I know everyone in the Order at least a little."

"It's that way," Jenn said with a gesture down the other corridor of the T-junction in which they were standing.

"That leads to the detention center," Jacen said with a thoughtful frown.

Jenn could sense his disquiet. "What is it?" she asked.

"Why would Vader have a Force-Sensitive in his brig and not tell us?" Jacen mused. "It's not a Jedi; none of the Order besides us are in this sector. It's not an Imperial Knight, either, since most of them are assigned as bodyguards to the Royal Family or as watchmen for unstable sectors. There's no way one of them would have entered the Republic without asking for permission first, and there's no reason for them to go into the Unknown Regions, either."

"I only noticed it today," Jenn said, crossing her arms. She shifted her weight to one leg as she thought. "No, that's not true," she amended. "I noticed it not long after Vader went down to Belkadan the first time, but I dismissed it then as an echo of his presence, since it was close to him and he was very angry that day."

"It could be a Sith," Jacen said grimly. "I know some of them tried to follow Vader to the Unknown Regions, though most of them were never heard from again."

"No, I don't sense the Dark Side," Jenn said. "Mostly she just feels… frightened."

"She?" Jacen said curiously.

"It's a young woman; I can tell now that I'm closer," Jenn explained. She half-smiled. "I've probably spent more time around untrained adult Force-Sensitives than you; I'm more attuned to what they feel like in the Force." She allowed her smile to fade away, and looked up to meet the young Jedi's brandy-brown eyes. "How do you feel about sneaking into your grandfather's brig to see who he's got in there?"

Jacen returned her gaze steadily, showing a surprising amount of confidence for one so young. "He'll be angry if he finds out," he said calmly. "But I sense her fear, myself." Jacen straightened, determination spreading through his posture and his presence in the Force. "I at least want to know who she is."

They set off down the corridor to the brig, and were stopped outside the cellblock by a trooper in a black uniform and helmet. "Halt," he said. "You're not authorized to enter this section."

Jenn made a subtle gesture with her fingers. "We are authorized to be here."

"You are authorized to be here," the trooper repeated in a monotone.

"You're going to go into the guard station and disable the cameras in this section," Jenn went on. "Then you'll forget you ever saw us."

The guard straightened. "I'm going to go disable the cameras," he repeated as if in a trance, then turned and went inside the cellblock.

Jenn held an arm out in front of Jacen when he started to take a step forward. "Not yet," she said with a gesture at the camera just over the guard post. "We're still in that camera's blind spot. Wait until he turns it off."

Jacen gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I'm not used to sneaking past security systems."

Jenn shrugged amiably, giving him an answering smile. "Frankly, I'd be a bit concerned if you were." She gestured up at the camera again when the small red light next to the lens faded. "All right, it's off. Let's go."

The sole occupied cell was only a few steps into the cellblock, its purple force-field casting a glow into the dim, gloomy corridor. Apparently, Jenn mused to herself as they approached, it was a universal requirement of warship brigs to be dark and depressing.

Inside the cell was a young human woman of perhaps twenty or twenty-one with green eyes and blond hair that hung slightly past her shoulders. She was dressed in a serviceable gray coverall, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. "You're not Imperials," she said warily. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jenn Talmak and this is Jacen Solo," Jenn said with a gesture to her companion. "We're Jedi."

Relief replaced suspicion on the young woman's face, and she stepped closer to the force-field. "I'm Danni Quee. Have you come to get me out?" she said. Then suspicion returned. "Wait. How did you get onboard this ship?"

"We were invited. It's a long story," Jenn answered. "Even more so for me than him. What are you doing here in the detention center?"

"I'm an ExGal scientist," Danni replied. "Darth Vader brought me here when he… occupied our research station on Belkadan. He let the other scientists go, but kept me behind, though he never bothered to explain why." She spread her hands. "You're the first people I've seen in days. What's been happening, anyway? What was that jolt yesterday afternoon? Did we hit something?"

"There was a battle, yes," Jacen said.

"Was it more of those aliens?" Danni asked. "What Yomin Carr really was. Vong, I think Vader called them."

"Yes," Jenn answered. "He was a scout, probably sent here to make sure your monitoring station didn't pick up his fleet and report it to the Republic. Vader told me about that. What he didn't tell me was that he kept you here."

Jacen frowned thoughtfully. "There was something in the report from the other scientists," he said. He sounded annoyed with himself. "In all the excitement of the battle and everything else that's happened, I forgot all about it."

"And Vader never gave any explanation for why he's keeping you here?" Jenn asked Danni.

"None," the scientist replied. She sighed. "I've been driving myself crazy trying to figure out what he wants with me. I'm an astrophysicist; what could I possibly know that Darth Vader would be interested in?"

Jenn noticed Jacen's frown deepen, though he said nothing.

Danni noticed, too. "What is it?" she asked him. "You know something."

"It's not because you're a scientist," Jacen said, his voice oddly subdued. "It's because you're Force-sensitive. Vader probably wants to train you."

"Train me?" Danni said incredulously. "I'm no Jedi!"

Jacen shrugged. "It's the only explanation I can think of right now."

Jenn reached out to deactivate the cell's force-field. "Well, that's not happening," she said. "Come on."

Danni paused on the threshold of the cell. "Won't he get angry?"

"Probably," Jenn said indifferently. "But he can take it up with me if he does. I don't care if he's an ex-Sith Lord or ex-Emperor or whatever other 'exes' he is; Vader can't just go around kidnapping civilians like this. You're coming with us, Danni." She turned to Jacen. "You came here in your family's personal ship, right?"

Jacen nodded. "The _Millennium Falcon._"

Jenn absently worked her lower lip between her teeth as she considered the last few elements of her plan. "Right," she said after a moment. "Here's how we're going to do this: while I take Danni to the _Falcon_, you go to your parents and explain what we learned here. We'll take your ship back to the temple instead of the troopship Vader loaned us, and just keep her with us for now."

"Good thing Vader's already gone," Jacen said as the three of them walked back up the corridor. "We'd never get away with this if he was still here."

"I'm not exactly looking forward to the conversation we'll have when he finds out," Jenn said dryly. "But I'll dodge that asteroid when I get to it."

* * *

><p>Mara watched the bright lights of Coruscant flow past the viewport of the shuttle, a hundred thousand points of light streaming like organized meteors through the velvety darkness.<p>

The _Azure Flame_ had returned unheralded to the capital of the Empire, just one more gleaming warship among the dozens that patrolled the heart of Emperor Fel's domain. Their party had descended through the atmosphere similarly unannounced, and were proceeding directly to the Coruscant Security Force station where the purported Galen Marek was being held.

Luke sat next to her, similarly watching the lights of the big city. Mara could tell he was thinking about the battle they had fought on Korriban all those years ago, trying to think of some way Darth Nova could have escaped. Like her, he could come up with nothing, and his puzzlement and curiosity continued to grow.

Vader sat opposite them in the shuttle's passenger space, silent and ominous in his black armor. His rebreather was off at the moment, which was oddly more unnerving to Mara than the deep, vaguely threatening sound of his mechanical breathing.

Though he did not outwardly move, Mara sensed that Vader had seen her looking at him, and he returned her gaze for a moment behind the black lenses of his helmet. He said nothing, seemingly waiting for her to speak first. However, Mara was still angry with him, and knew any conversation right now would only devolve into an argument, so she too, remained silent.

"I don't think Coruscant ever changes," Luke remarked, mostly to break the tense silence.

"Ten years doesn't seem to have made much of a difference," Mara agreed.

The last time they had been to Coruscant was to visit the ancient Jedi Temple and make copies of its extensive records for the new Temple on Alderaan. The Imperial Knights had little interest in Jedi history, and so Mara and Luke's delegation had returned with a plethora of artifacts, as well.

"Fifty-eight years has made little difference," Vader rumbled from his seat, his helmet turning toward them fractionally. "Coruscant seems exactly the same as the first time I saw it. I doubt it has changed significantly in a thousand generations."

"We've arrived at the station," the pilot said, saving Mara from having to think of a reply.

She and Luke raised their hoods and drew their robes closed to conceal their lightsabers, not wanting to be recognized by any of the officers; this was a strictly unofficial visit.

Inside the station, Vader took the lead, striding commandingly down the stark gray corridors. The officer who met them at the landing platform, a Duros, had to jog to keep up, nervously babbling as they walked about the person who had been arrested.

As they neared the holding cells, Mara saw two human officers seated in the hard plastic chairs in the lobby. Neither of them were in uniform, dressed in civilian clothes instead, but both wore blasters at their hip and had badges on chains around their necks. One detective was young, in his mid-twenties, with short dark hair and a professional, slightly exasperated air about him. The other was in his late forties, with disorderly reddish hair and a large bushy mustache. Unusually, he wore sunglasses despite the fact that they were inside.

"These are the arresting officers, sir," the Duros said to Vader, gesturing to the two men. "Detectives Dhan Starc and Jaq Baeli."

The older detective stood and extended a hand to Vader. "Dhan Starc," he said somewhat unnecessarily. "You're with ISB, ain't ya?" He was chewing gum, Mara noticed, and his mustache twitched as his jaw worked.

Vader did not shake his hand.

Starc seemed unfazed. He hooked his thumbs into his belt and gestured back towards the holding cells with his elbow. "I knew this punk was up to something," he said contemptuously. "He was just asking to be busted, flying around in Palace airspace like that. He must be into something big to get a guy like you down here askin' about him." Starc chewed his gum for a moment. "What'd you say your name was, anyway?"

"Uh, what Detective Starc means, sir," said the other detective, Baeli, shooting a warning glare at his partner, "is that we weren't expecting this kind of attention on this case. Is there anything we can do to help?" His gaze flicked to Luke and Mara briefly, and she could tell he was curious, but Baeli's attention remained on Vader.

"Describe the prisoner's arrest," Vader rumbled.

"His fighter just popped outta thin air above the Palace," Starc said. "Me and Jaq were the closest officers, so we pulled him over. As soon as he popped the cockpit, he started yammerin' about Jedi and askin' to see somebody called Skywalker or Mara Jade." Starc reached up to brush a stray hair in his mustache back into place. "You ask me, I think he's on spice; he don't make a whole lot of sense. Like I said, me and Jaq-o here knew he was up to something, so we busted him and hauled him down to the station. Some other Imperial guy was here yesterday, asking a bunch of questions, too. You guys think he's a spy or something?"

"That will be all," Vader said dismissively.

Mara noticed Baeli shift nervously, though his partner Starc continued to seem completely unfazed. Starc chewed his gum for a moment, frowning under his bushy mustache. He seemed about to say something, but Baeli laid a warning hand on his arm.

"I think we're done here, Dhan," he said.

"Sure," Starc shrugged. "We're busy anyhow. Got punks to bust. Come on, Jaq-o." He swaggered off down the corridor, followed by his partner, who shot a final, apologetic glance at the three of them before they left the lobby.

"The suspect is in Interrogation Room Two," the Duros officer said, gesturing down the corridor to the holding cells.

Vader had already started walking, and Mara and Luke were forced to hurry to catch up.

The interrogation room looked much like any of the others Mara had seen; stark, square, and cramped, dimly lit by a low-hanging light to make suspects uncomfortable and leave standing interrogators' faces in shadow. A dark-haired human man in his late forties, dressed in a plain tan and brown tunic and trousers, sat at the metal table, binders on his wrists.

His face was one she knew all too well; by all appearances, this was indeed Darth Nova, twenty years older than the last time she'd seen him. His eyes were their natural brown color, not the fiery yellow she had been expecting. Still, she could sense that he had definitely been trained in the ways of the Force.

The man's face brightened when he saw her. "Mara!" he said, sounding relieved. "I'm so glad you're here. Will you please explain to these people who I am?"

Mara did not reply immediately, fixing him with a silent gaze as she crossed her arms, studying him further.

"What's wrong?" the man said, concerned.

"How do you know me?" she asked evenly, carefully monitoring his reaction through the Force.

"What do you mean, how do I know you?" the man said incredulously. "You're my wife!"

* * *

><p>"I'm starting to feel like a taxi driver," Han remarked to Chewbacca as he watched the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace outside the <em>Millennium Falcon<em>'s cockpit viewport. "Just flying Jedi around the galaxy."

Chewie growled a reply, absently picking his teeth with one of his claws.

Han let out a short chuckle. "Yeah, you're right." He leaned back in his chair and propped his boots up on the console, then glanced over at the big Wookiee. "So why do you think Vader kidnapped that scientist girl?"

Chewie woofed an answer, gesturing back toward the main hold where the Jedi were.

"Maybe," Han allowed, idly rubbing the scar on his chin with the edge of his thumb. "I think probably His Grand High Lord Evilness just hadn't done anything Sithy in a while and didn't want to get out of practice."

The big Wookiee chuckled at that.

"I don't know, pal," Han said, looking out of the viewport again. "Vader's back, the Vong are almost here, there's four-thousand-year-old Jedi hanging out on my ship, we're off to check out some old temple in unexplored territory… Seems like a lot's happening all at once, y'know?"

Chewbacca woofed a comment, looking over at Han.

Han nodded once. "Yeah, things _were_ starting to get a little too peaceful lately." He stretched in his seat and yawned. Just then, the navicomputer beeped an alert. "Oh, coming up on the coordinates," he said as he dropped his feet back to the deck. "Prepare for reversion."

He and Chewbacca moved through a well-practiced sequence, one they'd gone through so many times they had it down to a casually efficient routine. Han eased the hyperdrive lever back, and the blue tunnel of hyperspace dissolved into streaks of white light before finally snapping back into inky star-specked blackness.

They were near the fringe of an average binary system, a red super-giant star paired with a yellow dwarf. Nearby was the gas giant whose moon they were investigating, banded with red and yellow clouds and girded with wide golden rings.

Han heard the cockpit door hiss open behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to see Revan entering, gazing with unreadable emotion at the rapidly approaching moon.

"It should be easy to find a landing area," the Jedi Master said. "A glacier had frozen over the temple, so Darth Vader blasted it away with turbolasers."

"Sounds about right," Han remarked half to himself as he angled his starship for the moon. He reached up to the overhead console and launched one of his sensor buoys, so he could keep an eye out for uninvited guests while they were down on the moon.

Revan remained standing behind them through the descent, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the landscape beneath them with raptor-like intensity. His presence was more than a little unnerving, but Han figured it would be useless to ask him to leave, so he didn't.

"Land as close to the temple as you can," Revan said as the stone spires of the ancient temple came into view, obscured at this distance by a glowing domed blue security shield that covered the complex.

As Han transmitted the code to temporarily lower the security shield, he again thought about how glad he was that Leia had managed to talk Piett out of sending any Imperial troops with them. She had promised to fully document their findings while they were there, but Han could tell the admiral had still wanted to send some of his own people along. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed that their 'guest' was absent from the brig before the _Falcon_ departed, though Han figured there was some sort of Jedi mind trick behind that.

"Nothing else on the scanners; we're all alone here," Han said as he gently eased the _Falcon_ down onto the blasted-smooth ice. The blue shield flickered back into existence above them, occasionally flashing dimly from the snowfall.

Revan left the cockpit, headed back to the main hold. When the door hissed closed behind him, Han looked over at Chewie and murmured, "You stay here with the ship, and be ready to leave in a hurry, yeah? This ain't the most friendly-looking place."

Chewbacca nodded, growling his assent.

Han patted him on the shoulder as he stood and went back to the main hold. The others were waiting, already bundled up in heavy coats. Han didn't think they needed thirteen people to explore one moldy old temple, but he knew from experience it was pretty useless to ask any of this bunch to stay behind.

"That was quick," Jenn said as Han walked in. "It took the _Executor_ a lot longer to get to Belkadan from here."

"The _Falcon'_s the fastest ship in the galaxy," Han said with a grin. "And the _Executor_ is slower than a dewback with a broken leg." He turned to Revan. "So what is it exactly you want to accomplish here?"

"I want to explore the entire temple to see what else is here," Revan replied as he pulled on a pair of heavy gloves. "Our immediate objective is to find a functioning computer console I can access to see what the Rakatan records say about this place."

"Seems like a long shot to me," Han said, accepting the coat Leia handed to him.

"Rakatan technology is self-repairing," Revan replied. "There's a fairly good chance the computer core is still online, so we should be able to find at least one working console."

"All right then," Han said with a shrug. All he really cared about was leaving this moon with the same number of people on his ship as there were now. "We'll split up into two groups of four and one of five. Check in by comm every ten minutes. Nobody's getting frozen for a thousand years on this trip."

Jenn gave him a wry half-smile at that.

"Ready?" Han asked with a final look around at the group. "Good. Move out."

* * *

><p>"You are most definitely not my husband," Mara said to Galen Marek.<p>

Luke sensed her surprise and suspicion clearly, and it was matched only by his own. If this was Darth Nova, he was delusional.

"What are you talking about?" Marek said confusedly. "We've been married for fifteen years! We-" He suddenly stopped and looked over at the silent black figure of Vader, who stood in the corner watching the exchange. "Master Skywalker?" he said in surprise. "You feel… different. Why are you in that armor?"

"Different how?" Vader inquired.

Marek's brows drew together in puzzlement. "You feel grim… dark. What's happened to you?" He looked over at Mara. "And why don't you remember me? What is going on here?"

Mara approached the metal table to which Marek was cuffed and leaned over it, placing her hands on its surface. "Oh, I remember you, Darth Nova. I clearly remember killing you twenty-one years ago on Korriban."

"We've never been to Korriban!" Marek insisted. "And I am _definitely_ not a Sith Lord! I'm a Jedi Knight, just like you!"

"He believes it," Mara said to Luke as she straightened. "It's either true or a very firmly believed delusion."

"I am not delusional," Marek protested. "Now what the hell is going on here?"

"If Anakin Skywalker was your Jedi Master," Vader rumbled, "how did he find you?"

"_You're_ Anakin Skywalker," Marek said impatiently. "You already know!"

"Humor me," Vader said flatly. "Pretend we don't know anything about you."

Marek sighed and frowned, but complied. "My parents had gone to Kashyyyk to help repel the Separatist invasion at the end of the Clone Wars," he began. "They were married, which was against the Jedi Order's rules at the time, so they were looking for a safe place to hide, as well. My mother was killed by the Separatists and my father was killed by clone troops after the Chancellor sent out Order 66. Masters Skywalker and Windu came to Kashyyyk to assist Master Yoda after they killed Palpatine, and the three of them found me. After the reorganization, Anakin took me on as his apprentice."

Marek leaned back in his chair, looking up at Vader and Mara. "You're telling me you two don't know this?"

"You say Skywalker killed Palpatine?" Vader asked, ignoring his question.

Marek nodded. "The Chancellor was secretly a Sith Lord. He had been trying to turn Anakin to the Dark Side, and he nearly succeeded. When Mace went to arrest Palpatine, Anakin went there to try and stop him, but decided to help Mace instead. The Chancellor escaped and transmitted a hidden order to the clone army, but the Jedi chased after him and were forced to kill him during the arrest. Once Palpatine was dead, the Separatists surrendered; it turned out he'd secretly been in charge of their movement the entire time."

Again, he looked up at Vader and Mara curiously. "You really don't remember that?"

"Does Mustafar have any significance to you?" Vader asked, again ignoring Marek's question.

"It's where the Separatist leadership was hiding at the end of the war," Marek said with a shrug. "Other than that, no."

Vader was silent for a moment, and Luke could sense his father turning over this information, trying to make sense of this strange alternate history.

"You will be transferred to our vessel," Vader said finally. Without another word, he turned and left the interrogation room.

Mara paused for a moment, giving Marek a curious look, but she pulled up her hood and followed Vader, Luke a step behind her.

As they walked through the station back to the landing pad, Luke pondered the interrogation. He had only met Darth Nova personally twice, and both times he and the Sith Lord had been fighting. The man in the interrogation room felt similar to Nova in the Force, but there was no trace of the rage, the simmering darkness Nova had always carried within him.

Luke was so deep in thought that he almost didn't notice the man in a hooded ash-gray robe that stepped into his path outside on the way to the landing pad.

"You are strong, Luke Skywalker," the man said in a raspy voice. "You can survive the Fire."

"What?" Luke said, puzzled by the cryptic words. The man felt strange in the Force, too.

"When a forest grows too wild, a purging fire is inevitable and natural," the hooded man rasped. "Only the strongest materials are left behind." He raised a hand to point at Luke, and Luke noticed that the skin was covered in tattoos that made the man's fingers appear to be aflame. "You would weather the Fire."

Luke noted the odd emphasis on 'fire', and was about to ask a further question when the gray-robed man stepped into the crowd and disappeared. Luke tried to find him through the Force, but the man was gone.

"Who was that?" Mara asked, having noticed that he'd stopped.

He turned to her. "I have no idea."

"What are you doing?" Vader boomed over to them.

Luke noticed the way the crowd seemed to unconsciously part around his father, avoiding the intimidating armored figure as much as they were able.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Jaina squinted at a faint bas-relief carving on the wall of the corridor she and her group were exploring, trying to make out details in the electric-violet light cast by her lightsaber.<p>

Her brother Jacen and the scientist Danni Quee stood a few meters away, examining another ancient carving with the illumination of Jacen's emerald-green lightsaber, while Jenn stood staring thoughtfully at a statue on the other side of the hall.

Jaina finally gave up on the incomprehensible carving and walked over to Jenn, who was now nudging the base of the statue with the toe of her boot.

"I think this moves," Jenn said as Jaina approached, giving the statue a light kick. "Though I can't find the button."

"Secret passage?" Jaina asked curiously.

Jenn glanced over at her and nodded. She reached out to tap one section of the wall with the pommel of her lightsaber, then another. "Hear that? There's a cavity behind this wall."

As if on cue, one of the wall panels next to the statue popped slightly ajar with a hiss of releasing pressure.

"Sorry, that was me," Jacen called over to his startled sister. He gestured at the wall behind him with his thumb. "One part of this carving looked a little different than the rest of it, so I pushed on it to see what would happen."

"Just be glad it wasn't a booby trap," Jaina said. "Wouldn't want to end up like that fellow who was with Dad on Dellalt."

"Gallandro," Jacen confirmed. "Though that was because he drew a weapon and activated the vault's security system." He gestured at the corridor around them. "Either this place doesn't have one, or it doesn't care about lightsabers."

Jenn shoved the wall panel further open with her boot and drew her lightsaber, warily looking into the passage. "I don't hear anything moving in here," she said after a moment.

Danni sniffed the air in front of the dark passage. "That's strange," she said. "The air doesn't smell stale in there. There must be some kind of circulation system."

Jaina wrinkled her nose. "Smells… metallic. Like old computers."

Jenn ignited her lightsaber and extended the cyan blade into the dark passage. Nothing shot at it or sprang out of the wall, so she ducked into the passage and cautiously made her way forward. Jaina followed a step behind, her own lightsaber in her hand but not activated. The four of them made their way down the passage, bent nearly double under the low, rough-hewn ceiling.

Jaina paused when Jenn tripped on something ahead of her and muttered a word that sounded vaguely like a Corellian curse. "Droid of some kind," the Jedi Master said more loudly.

The inactive droid was slumped against the wall, its spindly legs folded up around itself like a dead arachnid. Jaina knelt to examine it, noting the rusted, pitted outer casing; clearly this had been here for a long time.

"Doesn't look like it was blasted," Jaina said, gently turning the droid over. "Looks like it just shut down."

One of the droid's legs suddenly twitched, and Jaina scrambled away from it. Jacen's emerald lightsaber flared into being with a loud _snap-hiss_ above her, and he stepped half in front of her and Danni.

On the droid's other side, Jenn had also dropped into a defensive stance, her legs slightly bent and tensed for a leap forward if the droid made any threatening moves.

The photoreceptors near the top of the droid's conical body slowly lit up, a mixture of red and white lights that blinked in a seemingly random pattern before finally glowing brighter. With a creak of long-disused joints, the droid slowly maneuvered itself upright and beeped several times.

Its conical head swiveled first to look at Jaina, who now stood next to her brother with her own lightsaber ignited in her hand, and the droid said something in a screeching, bestial-sounding language.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Jenn said, eyes fixed intently on the droid. "I don't see any weapons systems, but that doesn't mean they aren't there."

The droid's head swiveled to Jenn, and it snarled something in a language Jaina _did_ recognize.

"Wait a minute," Jacen said, having also recognized it. "That's Shyriiwook. It said 'identify yourself', I think."

"How does a droid in a thirty-thousand-year-old temple speak a Wookiee language?" Jaina said, confused.

"The Wookiees were once slaves of the Rakata," Jenn said as she shut down her lightsaber and returned it to her belt. "Supposedly Kashyyyk's overgrown foliage is the result of Rakata terraforming left unchecked."

"None of us have the proper vocal range to speak Shyriiwook," Jacen said, digging in his pocket for his comlink. He pressed a button on the small device and raised it to his lips. "Hey Chewie, we found a droid that speaks your language. Could you help us answer it?"

The Wookiee growled his assent, and instantly, the droid turned to Jacen, barking a further statement.

Chewbacca growled a reply through the comlink, and the droid beeped quietly to itself for a moment.

"The droid asked us if we were slaves of the Builders," Jaina translated for Danni and Jenn. "Chewie asked it who the Builders were."

"The Builders are the makers of this temple, rulers of the glorious Infinite Empire," Jacen translated the droid's next statement. He wrinkled his brow as he listened to what the droid said next. "It says it has had no contact from the Builders in almost thirty thousand years, and asks if we were sent here to repair the Generator. It puts a strange emphasis on 'Generator' that I don't quite understand."

Chewbacca woofed a clarification.

"Oh," Jacen said. "It's to emphasize how strong of a power source it is. Apparently this Generator is some kind of incredibly powerful reactor."

"It says the Generator was damaged," Jaina translated as the droid continued. "It's been drained from maintaining one of the temple's security fields for a very long time, and apparently the emitter was destroyed and this caused an overload. The Generator is at minimal power right now, but if we repair its geothermal intake, it can bring itself back up to full strength."

"Ask it what the Generator is for," Jenn said. "What's it supposed to power?"

Chewbacca growled a query, and the droid snarled a reply.

"It says slaves don't need to know," Jaina said with a frown. "It said we just need to fix it."

Chewbacca grumbled, and Jacen smirked. "That's not very polite, Chewie."

Chewbacca informed him in rather coarse language just how polite he felt like being to this droid, and Jacen snickered.

Jaina chuckled lightly. At Danni's curious look, she said, "He… doesn't like this thing."

Danni smirked. "So I gathered."

"Revan, I found something you'll want to see," Jenn said into her comlink. She briefly described their location in the temple and what the droid had said so far.

"_I'll be right there,_" Revan replied.

A few minutes later, Revan, Masters Tionne and Malysa, and their apprentices Ami and Tahiri arrived.

"This is a maintenance passage used by the temple's droids," Jenn said to Revan as the tall Jedi Master entered the passageway. "This droid here won't let us go any further without a promise to fix the geothermal intakes for the reactor. I figured I'd let you deal with this thing, since you've got experience with them."

Revan nodded slowly, leveling a penetrating stare at the droid from beneath his hood. He simply stood there for a moment, thoughtfully stroking his goatee with a gloved hand. Finally he said something in a language Jaina didn't recognize. The droid replied in the same language, and the two conversed for some time.

"It's even colder in here than it was in the main passage," Ami remarked to Jaina as they waited. She shivered and tugged her heavy coat and the rust-brown robe beneath it tighter about herself.

"I bet you're glad we made you wear boots now, aren't you?" Jaina said to Tahiri, who also stood shivering in her sand-colored robes and parka.

Tahiri made a face, but nodded. "I'll be glad when we get back on the _Falcon_," she said, shifting her feet uncomfortably; Tahiri hated shoes, and went barefoot whenever possible. She smiled over at Ami. "This reminds me of that mission on Rhen Var a few years ago."

Ami grinned back. "Where we found our lightsaber crystals in that ancient temple," she said. She shrugged. "I haven't seen anything more interesting than old statues and broken droids so far."

"The temple does not have many clues as to its original function," Tionne agreed. "Based on what I have seen and what Masters Revan and Talmak have told me, my current supposition is that this temple was meant to hide something. There are many levels of security here, though most of them have failed over the centuries or were destroyed by Lord Vader and his troops during their exploration." She gestured back out into the passage. "We encountered one other stasis-field emitter that Darth Vader destroyed on one of the upper levels, though there was nothing of use in the room."

After a last question from Revan, the ancient droid fell silent and moved aside, taking up position in an alcove in the wall.

"The Generator is a prototype for the main reactor of the Star Forge," Revan said, turning to look at them. "It was used in early experiments in drawing power from the core of a planet. The Rakata left it here in case they ever needed it, but set up multiple layers of security to prevent anyone else from finding the Generator and turning it against them."

He gestured to Jenn. "The field we were stuck in was designed to trigger if any non-Rakata entered that chamber, and hold the intruders there in suspended animation until the Rakata returned. Since the Rakata lost the ability to use their own technology thousands of years ago, none of them have ever come to investigate."

"If Vader hadn't been out here looking for ancient Rakatan tech," Malysa said, "you probably never would have been found."

"We would have been here until the Generator finally failed, yeah," Jenn agreed. "And who knows how long that would have been."

"It was long enough already," Revan said tersely. He pushed his hands into the opposite sleeves of his robe. "I suppose now we must decide what to do with the Generator. Do we fix it, or just leave it alone?"

"You never know when you're going to need a strong power source," Jaina offered. "I vote we fix it."

Jacen elbowed her side playfully. "You're just saying that because you want to take it apart and see how it works."

"Well, yeah," Jaina allowed. "How often do you get the chance to look at working tech that pre-dates the Old Republic?"

Suddenly Malysa's comm buzzed, and Han's muffled voice inquired, "_Hey Mal, you there?"_

Malysa dug her comlink out of her pocket and answered, "Yes, go ahead."

"_Chewie called me a second ago. He says the sensor buoy we left in orbit is picking up some arriving ships. He can't tell what they are, but they definitely aren't Imperial or Republic, so I thought I'd better give you guys a head's-up."_

"Vong?" Revan asked.

"_Can't tell,_" Han replied. "_They're still too far out of range. I figure we better get out of here before they get any closer, just in case they ain't friendly. Leia and Double Trouble are already on their way back to the _Falcon._"_ He paused for a moment. "_Hey, is Jaina there with you?_"

"I'm here, Dad," Jaina said, stepping closer to Master Kolos.

"_Chewie says you found some kind of old droid guarding a generator or something?_"

"We did," Jaina confirmed. "I don't think we should leave, Dad. If these are Yuuzhan Vong ships, we don't want them finding the Generator."

"_How exactly are we gonna keep 'em from finding the obviously melted-down glacier?_" Han said.

"Simple," Revan said with a fierce grin. "We make it snow."

"_Oh, right,_" Han deadpanned. "_Why didn't I think of that?_"

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Detectives Starc and Baeli are in reference to something. You get a cookie if you know what. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	7. The Gathering Storm

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Seven<strong>  
>(The Gathering Storm)<p>

"We got a call from the Palace while you were in the station," the pilot of their shuttle said as Mara, Luke and Vader boarded. "The Emperor requests a brief audience before you leave."

Vader gestured commandingly with a gloved hand, not even bothering to consult Luke or Mara. "Go ahead," he rumbled, gathering his cloak about himself as he sat down.

"Is this a formal or informal meeting?" Mara asked, glancing briefly in annoyance at her old master as she pulled back her hood.

"Informal," the pilot replied. "Officially, no one knows the three of you came to Coruscant, and for now the Emperor wishes to keep it that way."

"Okay then," Mara said. She glanced over at her husband. "All right with you?"

Luke nodded distractedly, still staring off in the direction of the station's landing pad.

"Let's go," Mara said to the pilot as she sat down. "Hey," she said, nudging Luke's leg with her knee. "What is it?"

"I keep thinking about that man who spoke to me as we were leaving the station," he said, buckling his crash webbing as the shuttle took off. "The one who kept talking about fire."

He briefly described the encounter, and Vader dismissively said, "Demented ravings of a lunatic. Ignore him."

"He knew my name," Luke countered. "I had my hood up far enough to cover my face; he couldn't have recognized me."

"A lunatic," Vader repeated. "Do not concern yourself further. The unstable often seek out those in positions of power."

Luke merely shrugged, still frowning thoughtfully.

_We can talk about it later,_ Mara sent to him through the Force. He gave her the mental equivalent of a nod in reply.

A few minutes later, the shuttle entered the enormous parking garage adjacent to the Imperial Palace and docked in a private space in the upper levels. They were met by a young Zabrak aide in black and dark purple livery, who guided the three of them swiftly through servants' passages to an office near the peak of the enormous pyramidal palace.

The office was small, perhaps fifteen meters square, and done up in the reserved black, gray and red colors of Fel's Empire. There were no windows, and it was lit only by a single harsh white glowpanel in the ceiling.

Emperor Soontir Fel himself waited in a high-backed dark red leather chair behind the black desk at the rear of the office. As usual, Emperor Fel wore a slightly more decorative version of the standard black Imperial officer's uniform, trimmed in dark red and gold, with gold-braid epaulets on the shoulders. His short, impeccably trimmed black hair and beard were both liberally sprinkled with gray, giving him an air of militaristic dignity.

Also waiting in the office were Colonel Jagged Fel and his two Imperial Knights, Zekk and Qeris. Both knights gave the three of them a respectful nod as they entered.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," Emperor Fel said. "I assumed you would not want to advertise your visit."

"Correct," Vader said. "Your son has briefed you on the events at Belkadan?"

"He has," Fel confirmed. "So, the Vong have arrived at last."

Vader removed his helmet and set it on the edge of the desk. Mara noticed Fel give it a wary glance before looking back up at the former Emperor.

"They have," Vader said. "It will require all our strength to hold them back."

"The Imperial military would be honored to work with you once more, Lord Vader," Fel said, a slight note of caution in his voice.

Vader's lips quirked in a small, grim smile. "You may relax, Fel," he said. "I have no intention of reclaiming my throne. The Empire remains yours."

Fel inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you, Lord Vader." He lightly touched a datapad on his desk. "So what do you make of this Galen Marek? Is he Darth Nova returned?"

"He is not," Vader said assuredly. "His story is an odd one, and I have a theory, but I am not certain enough to share it yet. I will take him with me when I return to Belkadan."

"Of course," Fel said. "If you will indulge me, Lord Vader, I would like to send one of my Imperial Knights with you, to aid you in any way you need and act as liaison between our forces. Qeris would be most suited to the task, I believe."

Vader glanced briefly at the statuesque Imperial Knight, who returned his gaze calmly. "Very well," he said.

"Excellent," Fel replied. "My son and his crew will be assisting my admirals in readying the Imperial military for full-scale war. I intend to fortify the border worlds and offer the New Republic our assistance."

"As is your prerogative," Vader said neutrally. "I will send some of the officers of Vanguard Fleet to brief your forces on what they can expect in battle from the Vong." He picked up his helmet. "If there is nothing further…?"

Fel seemed surprised that Vader wanted to leave already, but said, "If you wish to contact me, Qeris has a direct comm to my office."

"Good," said Vader. He put his helmet back on, and a moment later rumbled through its vocoder, "Forgive the abruptness of my departure, but I have further preparations to make. I will relay any relevant information to you through your agent."

Fel nodded once. He glanced past Vader to Luke. "Give my regards to the Chancellor, Master Skywalker," he said. "Please extend to her my offer of Imperial assistance in the fortification of your borders."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Luke said. "I will."

And just as quickly as they had arrived, they left, accompanied by the young Imperial Knight. Mara wondered why Vader hadn't stayed for a longer conference with Emperor Fel, but she was herself impatient to return to Alderaan to begin the New Republic's preparations for war.

[...]

Later, as their shuttle climbed through Coruscant's atmosphere on its way back to the _Azure Flame_, where the _Jade Sabre_ waited, Vader turned to Luke.

"I assume you will be going to Alderaan?" he said quietly, his helmet off and resting on the seat beside him. His expression was reserved.

"Yes," Luke replied. "I need to check in with the Chancellor and brief the Jedi about the state of the war. We have a lot to do."

"May I accompany you?" Vader asked. "I… have some things to discuss with your Chancellor."

Luke nodded in understanding. "All right."

* * *

><p>Ben Skywalker sat in the upper gun turret of the <em>Millennium Falcon<em>, staring up at the sky of the nameless moon through the domed viewport. Their group was again gathered in his uncle's ship, plotting their next course of action. Before they had shut down the sensor buoy to avoid its detection, it had been confirmed that the incoming ships were indeed Yuuzhan Vong.

The present theory was that this battle group had come in search of the one they had engaged at Belkadan; that fleet had been spotted here, so it was logical to assume this battle group was retracing its course.

Even if they had wanted to leave, it would have been a hard fight to get clear of the system; the battle group was arranged as if searching for something, far too densely packed for even the agile _Falcon_ to evade without a strong possibility of substantial damage. Uncle Han had wanted to try it anyway, but Revan and Jenn had talked him out of it.

Ben heard a light tread on the ladder below him and felt the approaching presence of his sister. Ami folded her arms across the top of the ladder and looked up at him, raising her brows briefly in silent greeting.

"So what do you make of this temple?" he asked her.

Ami rested her chin on her forearms. "I dunno."

"You don't know?" Ben said, amused.

Ami shrugged. "Revan seems to think this Generator thing is important enough to stay here and keep the Vong from finding it."

Ben propped his elbow over the top of his seat and leaned his head on his hand. "It's like Jaina said: something like this could be useful in the future. We're going to need stuff like this to win the war."

Ami shrugged again. "I suppose."

"You wish we'd have gone with Mom and Dad," Ben said knowingly, sensing her troubled thoughts.

"Yep," Ami replied. "It would have been better than sitting around here. Who knows how long we're going to have to hide here and wait for the Vong to leave? What if they decide this system would make a nice base and they set up camp here? What are we going to do then?"

"We make sure they don't decide to stay here," Jenn's voice said from the bottom of the ladder.

Ben leaned over to see the Jedi Master poke her head into the ladder well to look up at them. "Come on, you two," she said. "We're going to need your help."

Revan was waiting with the others as they came into the _Falcon_'s main hold. "We're going to use the Force to influence the weather," he said as Ben and Ami sat down. He gestured to Aunt Leia. "Master Organa Solo will use her Battle Meditation to help us link our powers. I will guide one group in making a massive snowstorm to cover up this entire area, while Master Talmak will guide the other in making a bubble of ice over the security shield to shelter the ship and the entrance to the temple." His raptor-like gaze flicked around the group. "Is everyone ready?"

Ben closed his eyes and concentrated, working with Jacen, Jaina and Anakin to help Revan conjure a powerful wind and draw snow down from the clouds. Dimly, he sensed his sister and the others forming a thick dome of ice just above the security shield, reinforcing it as much as they could to bear the weight of the snow.

The elemental fury of the storm surged above them. Ben felt Revan pull them back before they influenced the storm too much; they still wanted to be able to blast out with the _Falcon_'s turrets once they were ready to leave. Briefly, all the Jedi focused on strengthening the ice dome before finally the link faded away.

Ben opened his eyes to see his uncle Han pacing impatiently along the passage to the cockpit. He wondered how long they had been influencing the storm; it was difficult to judge the passage of time when immersed in the Force that deeply.

"Good work," Revan said approvingly, looking around at them. "That should be enough to keep the Vong from finding the temple." He turned to Han. "You should power down most of the ship's systems; I'm not sure what kind of sensors the Vong have, and they might be able to detect us even through the ice. I'm going to go rig the Generator for minimal power, just enough to run the heaters and keep it from getting below freezing in the temple."

"How long are we gonna wait?" Han asked.

"A day, maybe two," Revan said. "In a little while we'll activate the passive sensors on the buoy you left in orbit and see what the Vong are up to."

"Great," Han said, annoyed. "I didn't get quite enough of sitting around ice caves back on Hoth, so this should be a lot of fun."

Aunt Leia gave her husband an amused glance, but said nothing.

Jacen stood and rubbed his hands together. "So," he said with a cheerful smile, "who's up for exploring the rest of the temple?"

"Who's up for pretending to do that and throwing snowballs at Jacen once we get outside?" Anakin said with a grin.

Jaina grinned, also. "Sounds good to me."

Jacen dashed off to the ramp, his siblings in hot pursuit, laughing. Ami and Tahiri shared a brief glance before they ran off after them, giggling.

"They're so funny when they're that age," Leia said with an amused smile. "One minute they can be as serious and mature as any adult, and the next they're off to have a snowball fight."

Han hugged her from behind and kissed the top of her head. "Enjoy it while it lasts, darlin'," he said. "They ain't gonna be kids for much longer."

Ben noticed Revan quietly leave the room and head back toward the crew quarters. He could feel a strong sense of sadness in the Jedi Master through the Force, but knew there was nothing he could do to help.

He knew Revan wouldn't want to talk to him, but now Ben didn't feel like joining the others outside. Turning the other way, he returned instead to the upper turret to meditate.

* * *

><p>Jenn noticed Revan leave, and decided to follow him. She found her friend sitting on the lower bunk in one of the crew cabins, staring blankly at the opposite wall. As she entered the cabin, Jenn saw that Revan's eyes were wet, and a tear trickled down his cheek as he looked up at her. She quietly closed the door behind her and sat down on the bunk next to him.<p>

Revan took a deep breath and swiped the tear off his cheek with his thumb. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Jenn touched his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't be," she said. "I understand."

"I just…" Revan paused, looking down at the floor. "I'm never going to get to hold my daughter," he said finally. "Her… her whole life went by while I was trapped in that damned _thing._" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "She had to grow up without a father because I was too stupid to avoid a booby trap," he said bitterly.

"It's not your fault," Jenn said. "I didn't sense it either, until it was too late."

Revan turned to her sharply. "It _is_ my fault, Jenn. It _is_. I left Bastila and everyone else behind to go stop the Sith Emperor from attacking the Republic, and I failed. The first planet I got to, I got shot down by the Sith, and I had to steal one of their ships to draw them away from the _Hawk_ and the droids. They chased me into hyperspace, but as soon as I dropped out to try and turn around, I got hit by that ion storm and crashed on that worthless planet where you found me." His expression hardened into frustrated anger. "And not even a day after you rescued me, we got marooned again and my stupidity got us trapped in some damned ancient booby trap for four thousand kriffing years!"

Jenn's brows rose in surprise; in all the time she had known him, she had never heard Revan curse like that. She was unsure of what to say.

"She must have had a peaceful life, at least," she said after a moment. "Your daughter."

Revan looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"When I was reading Vader's records, I saw that the Sith didn't openly attack the Republic for another three hundred years after we got trapped," Jenn said. "I wasn't able to find any records of what happened to our friends and your family specifically, but there were no major conflicts before that. At least they had peace."

Revan nodded silently, but said nothing for several minutes. They sat in silence, thinking about the past.

"I haven't given up, you know," Revan said finally. He met her gaze, determination behind the sadness in his dark eyes. "I meant what I said, back on the _Executor_. We can't give up. All we can do is help these people against this invasion."

"I know," Jenn said. "Giving up was never something you did easily," she said with an encouraging smile. She slowly let it fade. "But you're allowed to be sad," she went on. "It would be unreasonable to expect you to just serenely accept losing your family like that."

Revan's lips quirked in a wry, bitter smile. "That's not what the old Jedi Masters would say."

"I was never the most orthodox Jedi," Jenn replied with a wry half-smile of her own. "And neither were you." She shrugged. "Some of the old Jedi might have liked to pretend they had no emotion, but you and I know better." She gestured off to the main part of the _Falcon_. "And from the looks of things, so do this Luke Skywalker and his Jedi. He's got the right idea; attachments don't compromise the Jedi, not if they learn how to deal with their emotions."

"Old Jolee Bindo said something similar, and I agreed with him." Revan said with a nod. He sighed. "I wish I had something of them, though. At least a picture."

Jenn nodded without replying, thinking. Not only had the _Ebon Hawk_ been wrecked, it had been sitting under a glacier for four thousand years; the chances of her personal footlocker - in which she had left the images Bastila had given her of Revan's daughter - still being intact were remote.

But still, she had to try.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a little while," Revan said. "I think I'm going to go work on the Generator."

"Okay," Jenn said as she stood. "I'll be around if you need me."

Revan gave her a slight smile. "Thank you."

While Revan headed outside for the temple, Jenn went back to the _Falcon_'s engine room, where she heard Han and Chewbacca talking quietly as they worked on their vessel.

Han was wiping his hands on a rag, and looked up as Jenn walked in. "Can I help you?"

Jenn looked at him and his Wookiee copilot. "Yes, I believe you can."

* * *

><p>"You think he's <em>what<em>?" Mara said incredulously.

They were in the lounge of the _Jade Sabre_, on their way to Alderaan. Galen Marek was secured in one of the passenger cabins, the door of which was guarded by the Imperial Knight Qeris. Vader had just put forth a very unusual theory about their passenger.

"I said, I think he is from an alternate universe," Vader repeated. "Physicists have long speculated about the existence of alternate universes, realities parallel to or divergent from our own. Based on his testimony and what can be determined about his sudden appearance at Coruscant, I believe this Galen Marek originated in one of these parallel realities."

"I've heard of the theory," Mara said. "Supposedly there are thousands of parallel realities out there, just like ours except for certain changes that make things different there." She gestured to Vader. "I don't know which I'm more surprised by, your hypothesis or your apparent knowledge of theoretical physics." She drummed her fingers on her knee for a moment. "Okay, I'll bite. Why do you think that?"

"His story of how the Clone Wars ended," Vader replied. "Apparently, in his reality, I sided with Mace Windu instead of Palpatine when I went to the Chancellor's office."

"When you chose to become Palpatine's apprentice," Mara said, having heard the story from Vader many times back when she had served him.

"Correct," Vader said with a slight frown. "That seems to have been the point of divergence for Marek's universe. His story is too detailed to be a delusion, and he knows things I never told Nova, things he could not have learned from anyone but me." Vader thoughtfully stroked his beard with the fingers of his natural hand. "It may seem far-fetched, but it is the only possibility that makes sense."

Mara had a sudden flash of insight. "That's why we have his fighter in the cargo hold, isn't it? You want to study it and learn how to duplicate whatever made him cross over from his universe into ours." She stood. "And the reason why you want to do it is so you can find the Star Forge in some universe where it wasn't destroyed."

Vader smiled approvingly. "You were always among the most intelligent of my students."

Mara was speechless with astonishment for a long moment. "That… that is the craziest thing I have ever heard! What you want to do… it's impossible!"

"_Nothing_ is impossible for those who wield the Force," Vader said firmly. "You were there when I revived my wife, and you aided me later when we did the same for Kolos. Who are you to say we cannot cross over into another reality, find an intact Star Forge, and bring it back here, where we can use its power against the Yuuzhan Vong?"

Mara still couldn't think of a response beyond, "That's…"

"Something the Vong will never see coming," Vader finished fiercely. "It will take them entirely by surprise. With the addition of the cloning systems Thrawn and I have developed, we can have an army large enough to crush the Yuuzhan Vong once and for all within months!"

"I don't know whether that's insane or brilliant," Mara said.

Vader merely smiled confidently in reply.

"There's a message for you, Father," Luke said as he entered the lounge from the cockpit.

Mara turned to him; she had been so surprised by her conversation with Vader that she hadn't even noticed the ship dropping out of hyperspace to calibrate their next jump.

"From?" Vader inquired as he stood.

"Colonel Fel," Luke replied. "He says he received a transmission from the _Executor_, and most of it is encrypted besides a request that it be relayed to you as quickly as possible."

Vader pulled up his sleeve and tugged down the leather gauntlet covering his mechanical arm. He adjusted something near the elbow, and his glowing mechanical eye flashed slightly brighter for a moment. "I will view the message in the cockpit," he said, moving past his son. He closed the door behind himself.

"What was that about?" Luke asked, looking over at Mara.

"Some of his encryption protocols are linked to the control systems of his eye," Mara explained. "He thought it up during the design; certain codes are keyed to the unique systems in his mechanical eye, and can only be decrypted by him personally."

"Hmm," Luke said, impressed. He flexed the fingers of his artificial right hand. "I wonder if I could incorporate something like that into my prosthetic."

"Never mind that," Mara said. "You have to hear this." She quickly described what Vader had told her about Marek.

"Makes sense to me," Luke said once she was done. "According to SoroSuub records, that fighter of his never got past the design phase. The representative I contacted before we left Coruscant said they never even manufactured a prototype, and she was very surprised to hear a working model had been found. She said there was no way Marek's ship could have been made in their factory." He held up a finger. "_But_, Marek's ship is constructed in such a way that it could only have been made in an official SoroSuub factory, which didn't make any sense to me until you told me about this alternate universe theory."

"So you think Vader could really cross into another universe and bring back an intact Star Forge?" Mara said skeptically.

"That, I'm not so sure of," Luke allowed. "We'll just have to see what his scientists come up with there. I'm no physicist, but it seems possible to me to duplicate whatever brought Marek here."

"An alternate universe," Mara said thoughtfully, sinking back down onto the couch where she had been sitting. She looked back in the direction of the passenger cabins. "So the version of me from his reality…" She shook her head. "I can't imagine ever being married to him. I'll admit to having a bit of a crush on Galen while we were growing up, but once he became a Sith Lord… He was too cruel. Too vicious."

"He isn't Darth Nova," Luke reminded her as he sat down next to her. "In his universe, Anakin Skywalker never fell to the Dark Side, and therefore neither did he. Galen Marek is a completely different person than the one we knew." He gave her a teasingly disbelieving smile. "You used to like Darth Nova?"

Mara shrugged, giving him an equally teasing smile in return. "He wasn't always a murdering psychopath. He was pretty good-looking once, too." She adopted an expression of mock thoughtfulness. "Hmm. Now that I think about it_..._"

Luke's disbelieving look lost all hint of humor, shifting into genuine alarm.

Mara laughed and patted her husband on the leg. "Relax, farm-boy. He was never as fun to mess with as you." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"That is not funny," Luke said with a chuckle as Mara stood and walked over to the dispenser to get a cup of water.

"Jade!" Vader bellowed as he opened the cockpit door. "We need to change course!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, setting the cup back in the shelf and closing the door.

"Your friends have decided to go investigate the temple where I found Revan," Vader snapped. "However, Piett has received word from the _Judgment_ that a Vong battle group is headed for the same system. We need to go there immediately."

"Who went?" Luke asked as the three of them moved into the cockpit.

"All of the Jedi and the children left on Solo's ship," Vader said, taking the copilot's seat.

Mara needed no further convincing.

* * *

><p>As Jenn had expected, not much was left of the <em>Ebon Hawk.<em> Darth Vader had partially excavated it during his visit to the temple, and what few artifacts his team had found were scattered over a flat area of the ice next to the crumpled, degraded remnants of her starship.

Jenn sighed sadly as she recognized the remains of T3-M4, who was crushed almost beyond recognition. Vader's diggers had just tossed him next to some cargo crates, which seemed an indignity the loyal little droid did not deserve.

"So what are we looking for?" Han asked.

"My footlocker," Jenn replied, looking around the scattered bits of wreckage. "It was hermetically sealed, so, supposing it wasn't blown open by the crash, the contents ought to be intact."

Han gave her a skeptical look. "You really think there's anything left after this long?"

Jenn shrugged. "It was a durable model, designed to survive exposure to vacuum. If it was shielded by the rest of the wreckage, I don't see why not. Can't hurt to look."

Han shrugged himself. "Something to do, I suppose," he said as he picked his way through the twisted hunks of metal and partially crushed cargo crates.

Chewbacca woofed curiously, holding up a bent and twisted hydrospanner out of a mangled toolbox.

"That belonged to one of my apprentices," Jenn said. "His name was Bao-Dur. He… died." She sighed, remembering that last chaotic battle for Telos with Nihilus' forces.

"It never gets easier, losing a buddy in battle," Han said knowingly, looking over at her.

"No, it does not," Jenn agreed. "But at least he made his death mean something. I… I can deal with it that way."

Chewbacca let out a mournful-sounding rumble and gently set the toolbox down on one of the crates. He looked over at her with an interrogative growl, nudging something next to the crates with his foot.

Jenn made her way over to where the big Wookiee stood. "Huh," she said, looking down where he pointed. "What do you know, it did make it."

She knelt down next to her footlocker, looking it over. It was scratched up and one corner was dented, but the seal looked intact. It was stacked with some other footlockers, only a couple of which were in similarly good condition.

With a groan of effort, Chewbacca picked up the footlocker and set it on top of two nearby cargo crates. Jenn nodded her thanks and tugged at the handle. It was stuck, and she had to put some muscle into it, but shortly she was rewarded with a quiet hiss of releasing pressure.

Everything inside was much the same as she had left it, if a little jumbled from being bounced around in the crash. "Got my money's worth out of this thing," Jenn said amusedly, digging through the datapads, spare lightsaber parts, and other odds and ends. After a moment she located the datacard Bastila had given her and gingerly picked it up.

She turned to Chewbacca. "I don't know how well this thing held up," she said, carefully handing the datacard to him. "Could you please see if you can get anything off of it?"

Chewbacca growled his assent, carefully touching only the corners. This model of datacard was designed to be durable, but Jenn didn't know if its designers had intended for it to still work after being locked inside a footlocker for four millennia. That scenario probably hadn't come up in the design process, she thought wryly.

"Too bad we left the little noisemaker back on Alderaan," Han said, gesturing to the datacard. "Artoo's pretty good with this kind of thing."

Chewbacca barked his agreement before heading back to the _Millennium Falcon_.

Jenn's amused smile slowly faded as she recognized the other item Bastila had given her before she had set out in search of Revan: a cloth-wrapped bundle wedged in one corner of the locker. She picked it up without comment and tucked it into a pocket of her robe.

"Probably not much of anything left," Jenn said as she turned to Han. "We're lucky anything made it at all."

Han smirked. "Another Jedi I knew once would say there's no such thing as luck, only the Force." He shrugged. "If you go in for that mystical stuff."

Jenn smirked back. "'That mystical stuff' works in strange ways, it's true."

A snowball arced over and hit Han squarely on the back of the head, and he ducked, swiping the snow out of his hair. Jenn looked over to see Anakin Solo standing with a surprised, guilty expression near the _Falcon_, his hand still raised from the throw.

"Sorry, Dad!" Anakin called over. Ami Skywalker, his intended target, giggled at the dirty look Han gave him.

"You're gonna be sorry, all right," Han said, stooping to scoop up a handful of snow.

"Uh-oh," said Anakin, and he dashed off for the other side of the artificial ice cavern.

"Come here, you!" Han shouted with a laugh, in hot pursuit.

"Sometimes I feel like I have four children," Leia said as she walked over to Jenn, smiling fondly at her husband as he chased their son around the cavern, both of them laughing. She pulled up the hood of her white outer robe, then closed the flowing garment against the chill.

"I never had any kids of my own, but I think I know the feeling," Jenn said, chuckling as Han finally tackled Anakin and rubbed snow in his hair. "My apprentices were all in their twenties, but I swear, you wouldn't know it from the way they squabbled sometimes."

"Did the Jedi Order allow you to marry in your time?" Leia asked.

Jenn shrugged. "It was never exactly encouraged, but it wasn't a big deal before the war with Exar Kun, from what I understand. But the High Council adopted a much more conservative and austere interpretation of the Code after that, and started forbidding things." Jenn frowned and folded her arms over her abdomen. "I think they overreacted, myself." She turned her head to look over at Leia. "Why did you and your brother not keep that restriction when you re-formed the Order?"

"Because of Vader, mostly," Leia replied. "Luke says part of the reason he fell was because the old order demanded that he suppress his emotions entirely instead of teaching him how to deal with them, and he simply couldn't do that. Luke's first teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was determined not to repeat the mistakes he'd made with our father. Yoda disapproved at first, but eventually he agreed."

"For what it's worth, I think you're right," Jenn said.

A distant muffled thump drew her attention, and she turned in that direction curiously. "What was that?"

She heard another, closer and louder. Whatever it was, it sounded heavy. A third and a fourth impact were close enough to shake the cavern, knocking a bit of ice from the ceiling which bounced off the _Falcon_'s hull before landing on the ground.

"That's definitely not the storm," Leia said concernedly, looking up at the roof of the ice dome.

"Sounds like… dropships landing," said Jenn, who knew that sound all too well.

A fifth heavy impact rattled the entire cavern, rocking the _Falcon_ on its landing struts and making all the portable glowlamps they'd set up flicker erratically.

"That was almost right on top of us," Han said warily, jogging over to the two Jedi Masters.

"Are we in the middle of a meteor shower?" Tahiri asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"I hope it's only meteors," Han said, his hand dropping to the blaster at his side.

Jacen looked over as two more impacts sounded from somewhere off to the east. His expression slowly shifted into a perfect copy of his father's suspicious dread. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

><p>Inside the temple, Malysa Kolos also heard the first heavy muffled impacts outside, and turned to Tionne, who was standing a few paces away, examining a wall carving. "You hear that?"<p>

The silvery-haired Jedi Master cocked her head, listening to the next few impacts. "They're close," she said. "Meteors?"

"If we're lucky," Malysa muttered, pulling her lightsaber from her belt.

"What's going on?" asked Revan, emerging from the computer room where he had been working.

"I'm going to go find out," Malysa said, headed off down the corridor.

She sensed Revan and Tionne hurrying along behind her as she headed for the spiral ramp that led to the upper levels of the temple. In only a minute or two, Malysa had reached the door that led to the small courtyard on the roof of the temple between the spires.

She pulled her gloves out of her pocket and slipped them on, then raised her hood and closed her brown robe against the cold. Lightsaber in one hand, Malysa tugged the door open with the other, bracing herself against the biting wind and flurries of snow that swept inside. She held her breath against the cold, crawling over the snow-drifts piled around the upper spires of the temple to squint through the snow at the dark shapes outside.

One hulking broad shape was just outside the snow-covered dome, in the midst of a crater in the snow. Malysa felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she saw humanoid shapes moving around it. She waved Revan and Tionne back inside, then closed the door behind them.

"Figures," Malysa muttered, looking for a lock.

"Yuuzhan Vong?" Tionne asked.

"Looks like it," Malysa replied grimly. "I couldn't tell if they knew we were here or if they're just checking out the area." She turned to Revan. "If you wouldn't mind, could you pile some snow in front of the other side of this door? We don't want them finding it."

Revan nodded once and closed his eyes, stretching out with the Force.

"I don't see a lock," Malysa said to Tionne. "We'll have to fuse it shut with our lightsabers."

The Jedi historian drew her lightsaber and ignited its silvery-white blade, moving for one side of the large stone door. Malysa took her azure blade to the other, using it to melt the edges of the door and then using the Force to fuse the stone to the frame.

When they were done, Malysa stepped back and frowned. "If they're really determined to get inside, that probably won't hold them for long."

"I counted seven dropships," Revan said. "They look like they could hold twenty or thirty troops each."

"Which means there could be over two hundred Yuuzhan Vong here," said Tionne.

"They're up to something out there, all right," Malysa said grimly. "Let's go tell the others."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I do believe there will be some action in the next chapter. ;) Muchas gracias to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	8. Blizzard

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Eight<strong>  
>(Blizzard)<p>

"So much for that plan," Han said disgustedly, scowling at the monitor on which the offending readings were displayed. He and Leia were in the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_, looking at the passive sensor readings from the buoy they'd left in orbit.

The entire Yuuzhan Vong battle group was clustered around this moon - specifically this hemisphere of it - which meant the Vong definitely knew something was here. The _Falcon_ could easily blast its way free of the ice dome and take off, as Han had planned, but the Vong ships were too densely packed out there; they wouldn't get ten kilometers before every ship in the fleet would come chasing after them.

"How do those scar-heads even know we're here?" Han demanded, frustrated. "We have almost everything turned off in here, and there's who knows how many tons of ice and snow covering us up besides."

"I don't think they know we specifically are here," Leia said from the copilot's seat. "They would have come blasting through the dome twenty minutes ago if they did. I think they spotted the temple in their orbital scans and have come to see what it is."

"With their entire fleet?" Han said doubtfully. "This place ain't that interesting."

"These ruins are extensive," Leia reminded him. "There could be more to this complex than we've explored so far."

"You think they might be considering setting up camp here?" Han asked her.

Leia shrugged. "Possibly."

Han shook his head. "Nah, there's other planets in this system with a much more friendly atmosphere. This would make a terrible base."

"Not if Vader and his fleet are after you," Leia pointed out. "The reason why we picked Hoth was because we didn't think he'd come looking for us there, remember?"

"And look how that turned out," Han countered. "_And_ Vader already knows about this place."

Leia spread her hands. "So all we have to do is wait for him to come back and take care of the problem for us."

"Darth Vader to the rescue," Han said dryly. "I bet that's the first time anyone's ever said _that_."

Leia gave him a wry smile, but did not disagree.

They both looked up as the cockpit door opened and Revan entered. "They haven't found the upper door yet," the Jedi Master said. "As long as they don't look too closely at the dome, we should be all right."

So of course, the east wall of the dome exploded inwards with a shower of snow and ice a moment later.

Han glared at Revan. "Just had to say it, didn't you?"

* * *

><p>"Get inside!" Jaina shouted at Ami, shoving the younger girl toward the ramp of the <em>Falcon<em>.

Behind her, the triple _snap-hiss_ of Jacen, Anakin, and Ben igniting their lightsabers echoed from the icy walls of the dome.

"But-" Ami protested.

"Get in the _Falcon_ and fire up the belly turret," Jaina ordered, leaving no room for argument. She turned to Ami's friend. "Tahiri, get in there and man the antipersonnel gun. You two can keep too many of them from getting in here at once."

The two younger girls sprinted for the ramp, hair and robes streaming behind them, and Jaina watched for a moment to make sure they made it before she ignited her own electric-violet lightsaber and joined the fray.

Snarling Yuuzhan Vong poured through the blasted hole in the ice, weapons held high. The young Jedi met their charge with lightsabers blazing, forming a line a dozen meters in front of the _Millennium Falcon_.

Jaina smashed away a projectile headed for her face, continuing the motion into a spin that took her lightsaber low, toward the nearest Vong warrior's knees. He jerked away, and her blade glanced off the crab-shell plating covering his calf. She dodged a stab from his amphistaff, still kneeling, and rolled to the side as he slashed at her arm.

As she emerged from her roll, Jaina parried another jab and twisted her gleaming blade around his weapon to thrust into his unprotected armpit.

The Vong warrior howled with rage and lashed out with an unexpected kick that caught Jaina heavily in the stomach. She tumbled backwards, barely managing to keep her lightsaber in her hand. Winded, she rolled to the side as the Vong brought his amphistaff down in a two-handed smash. The razor-sharp blade tore through her robe and sent splinters of ice up to bounce off of her cheek and neck.

Her right hand still holding her lightsaber away from her at her side, Jaina raised her left and sent out a strong Force push to knock the Vong warrior back. He stumbled back a mere single step, then bared his teeth in a snarling grin and raised his weapon over his head for another overhand slash.

Jacen met the warrior with a flying kick square in the center of his back, and the force of the blow knocked him forward off his feet. Jaina shifted herself aside as the warrior fell, angling her lightsaber to catch him across the throat.

Her brother extended a hand and hauled Jaina to her feet, and she grinned at him. "Thanks."

Jacen grinned back. "Anytime."

Side by side, they plunged into the howling horde, lightsabers humming and sparking as they worked to keep the Yuuzhan Vong away from their family's vessel.

Behind them, the quad laser cannons of the ventral turret roared to life, blasting their enemies back through the hole in the dome with deadly flashes of ruby light. The deafening scream of the cannons echoed thunderously from the ceiling of the dome, drowning out almost all other sound.

A few paces away, Ben with his sky-blue lightsaber and Anakin with his indigo blade stood back-to-back, working in concert to defend against a throng of warriors that had encircled them. Jaina wanted to go help them, but she and Jacen were too busy with their own group of enemies.

The top hatch of the _Falcon_ whooshed open, and Jaina's mother and Revan stepped out onto the upper hull of the vessel. Instantly, Jaina felt the familiar touch of her mother's Battle Meditation wrap around her, bolstering her spirits and her reflexes.

Revan ignited his lightsabers and leaped from the _Falcon_ in a long somersault that carried him over to Ben and Anakin. With his blue lightsaber in his right hand and his red blade in his left, Revan spun in a spiral of deadly light, smashing the encircled Vong apart. Ben and Anakin followed his lead and fought alongside the Jedi Master to drive the warriors back.

With a deep-throated roar, Chewbacca charged down the boarding ramp and let fly an explosive quarrel from his bowcaster, knocking two Vong warriors completely off their feet with the force of the blast. He quickly cocked the weapon and fired again, sending another warrior running outside, screaming and on fire.

Three of the Vong charged at the big Wookiee, and he shifted his bowcaster to his left hand so that with his right he could draw his huge, cleaver-like Ryyk blade from its scabbard on his back. He lumbered forward, and with a mighty swing of his blade, smashed the closest warrior backward into one of his fellows.

Chewbacca dropped both weapons, let out a ferocious bellow, and grabbed the third warrior by his breastplate. Growling with effort, he hurled him into the other two, then snatched his bowcaster from the ice at his feet as they crashed to the ground. Before they could recover, he cocked the weapon and fired.

The resulting explosion reduced the three warriors to flaming corpses, tumbling across the ice and snow to trip up their fellows.

A sudden massive hammer blow smashed in the ceiling of the ice cavern, sending great jagged chunks of ice tumbling down towards the _Falcon_, accompanied by a frigid gale of wind and snow.

Jenn emerged from the door to the temple and spread her hands, catching the enormous chunks of ice with the Force. The Jedi Master sent the ice back up to the ceiling, but another blast from a Vong explosive shattered it into thousands of pieces. She caught the debris as well as she could, sending it sailing through the hole from the first blast, but some of it escaped her grasp and pelted the area with stinging force.

Jaina tried to dodge the jagged rain, snatching Jacen back by the collar of his robe when a particularly large chunk of ice nearly landed on his head. He nodded his thanks, swatting another aside with his emerald blade.

Nearby, Ben cried out in surprise and pain as a Vong warrior sliced lower than he had expected and chopped off the top of his lightsaber, sending sparks spraying over Ben's hands and face from the damaged hilt. Anakin swung his blade out to block the warrior's next blow, then pushed Ben aside as Revan swept over to cut down his attacker.

Han Solo strode down the ramp of his starship, firing from the hip with a heavy repeating blaster rifle on full automatic. "Everybody inside!" he shouted over the din of battle. He paused to send a punishing rain of red blaster bolts into the crowd of Yuuzhan Vong around his son and daughter, then shouted, "We're getting the hell out of here!"

Revan herded Ben and Anakin back toward the ramp, holding off the pursuing crowd of Vong with his lightsabers. "What about the fleet?" he called over his shoulder.

"We'll have to chance it!" Han shouted back, laying down a fusillade of covering fire as Jaina and Jacen sprinted for the ramp. "It's better than trying to hold off all of these guys!"

Jaina paused to deflect a swarm of razor bugs headed for her father, and when the last of them sizzled off her blazing lightsaber, Han shouted, "Jaina, get to the cockpit and start 'er up! I'll make sure everybody's aboard!"

She nodded once, closed down her lightsaber, and clipped it to her belt as she ran inside, rushing through the corridors to the cockpit. She dropped into the pilot's chair and spun to the controls, her fingers flying over the _Falcon_'s systems. Deep in concentration, she only dimly heard the clatter as Chewbacca tossed his bowcaster and blade into a corner of the cockpit and settled into the seat next to her.

"Blast away more of the roof," Jaina ordered as she brought the _Falcon_ up to full power. The starship's powerful engines rumbled behind her.

Chewbacca growled, looking up through the cockpit viewport as he used the dorsal quad laser turret to shoot away the rest of the ice dome. More snow streamed inside, driven by the howling wind.

"Everybody's in!" Leia said as she ducked into the cockpit and dropped into the seat behind Chewie. Jaina heard the rasp of the crash webbing and a metallic click as her mother buckled herself in.

Slowly, Jaina lifted the _Falcon_ free of the ice and carefully maneuvered through the jagged hole in the ice dome. She still felt a jolt from the port side as the ship scraped the ice, and muttered a quick, "Sorry," as she tilted the _Falcon_ slightly to starboard to let it hover free of the dome.

Once she was sure they were clear, Jaina opened up the throttle and sent the _Falcon_ soaring over the ice fields at one-third maximum sublight.

"Here they come," Leia said, pointing at a swarm of coralskippers descending from the clouds to race for them.

Jaina slapped the intercom. "Somebody get in the upper turret!" she said tersely.

Chewbacca inquired about her plans, his furry fingers working at the deflector controls.

"I'm gonna head for those clouds," Jaina said, nodding toward an ominous cluster of thunderheads a few kilometers away. "We'll see if we can lose them in there before we try and get up into space." After a further comment from the Wookiee, she replied, "Yes, I _am_ worried about getting hit by lightning. But it's better than taking one of those magma blasts from a capital ship."

Chewbacca growled a reluctant agreement, adding that he thought she was even crazier than her father.

Jaina grinned fiercely at that. "I get it from both sides of the family," she said as she banked to the left, dodging a rain of fire from the pursuing coralskippers. Leia let out a strained laugh, bracing herself against the console beside her.

Both quad laser turrets screamed behind her, spitting red fire at the Vong. Next to her, Chewbacca launched a pair of concussion missiles from the forward tubes and roared triumphantly when they detonated against one of the Vong fighters, breaking up the formation.

As Jaina accelerated towards the cluster of black clouds, she heard the cockpit door open again and quickly glanced back to see her father entering. "Up," Han said with a gesture at her.

Chewbacca howled in alarm, and Jaina turned back to see a Yuuzhan Vong blastboat-analogue heading right for them. "Not now, Dad!" she said, wrenching at the controls.

Jaina hauled the _Falcon_ up and to the left to avoid the Vong ship, tilting her father's starship almost on its side. Han stumbled across the cockpit with a surprised yell, and dropped himself into the chair behind Jaina.

"Watch it!" Han said, but a second later she heard him buckling himself in, and despite the situation Jaina felt a swell of pride that her father was willing to let her keep flying.

Emboldened, Jaina sent the _Falcon_ into a long swooping dive that carried them beneath the first of the huge black thunderheads.

Her danger sense flared in alarm, and Jaina curved the ship to the left as a huge forking bolt of lightning stabbed down out of the clouds only a few dozen meters to the right.

"Left! Left!" Han shouted behind her.

"No backseat driving!" Jaina snapped, careening around another bolt of lightning that surged out of the clouds. The thunder washed over them, shaking the entire ship.

Han tensed again, pointing at another approaching flight of coralskippers. "Watch the-"

"She's got it, Han," Leia said gently but firmly.

Jaina stabbed the turret comm with one finger. "Five on the right!"

"_Got it,_" Jacen replied and Ami echoed a moment later. Both turrets spat fire at the incoming skips.

"_Watch those two on the left, Ami,"_ said Jacen.

"_Take that_!" Ami crowed, spraying the skips with fire from her turret.

"Are there any Vong ships on the other side of the moon?" Jaina asked Chewie.

The Wookiee checked the sensors and woofed a negative.

"Good," she replied. "Once we get into space, we'll slingshot around using the moon's gravity, and hopefully we'll be able to jump to lightspeed before they can catch up with us."

"It's risky," Han said behind her.

"It's all I got!" Jaina said through her teeth, spinning the _Falcon_ away from the fire of another Vong blastboat.

"_Hey sis, we're getting tossed around back here!_" Anakin said over the intercom.

"This is your captain speaking," Jaina said in the direction of the mic as she banked sharply to the right. "Please remain seated with your seat backs in the full upright position until the psychotic aliens have stopped chasing us. Thank you."

"_Oh, ha ha,"_ Anakin replied. He let out a startled yelp as she had to plunge them in a steep dive under a concentrated burst of fire from the coralskippers. She heard him fall heavily to the deck through the comm, but could spare no further attention.

Jaina flicked a glance at the terrain-following sensors and continued her dive, pushing the _Falcon_ toward a deep icy crevasse between two glaciers.

"No! No, no no!" Han cried with alarm behind her.

Jaina leaned into her first sharp turn and tilted the _Falcon_ completely on its side to swoop into the crevasse. "Yes!" she crowed as two of the coralskippers collided and smashed into the icy cliff, spraying their fellows with debris, which led in turn to the crash of another.

As Jaina poured all her concentration into hurling the _Falcon_ at top speed through the maze of glacial crevasses, a series of shouts and muffled thumps preceded Anakin's arrival into the cockpit as he was thrown about by her wild maneuvering. "Yaaaa-oof!" he grunted as he tumbled in and collided with the back of Leia's chair.

Jaina hauled up and soared out of the maze, leaving the two remaining pursuing coralskippers to plow into the dead-end ahead.

"I told you to stay in your seat," she reproved him, heading up for the clouds again.

"Yeah, yeah," Anakin groaned from the floor.

Just as he was struggling to his feet, Jaina had to pull the _Falcon_ straight up to avoid one of the blastboats, which came so close that it must have been trying to ram them.

With a yell, Anakin fell back down the passage, crying out as he hit a corner and rolled along the deck.

"Sorry!" Jaina called over her shoulder.

The _Millennium Falcon_ shook and bucked as Jaina sent it soaring up through the clouds, straining its way into space. When at last the clouds gave way to starry blackness, she rolled and sent the _Falcon_ along the curvature of the moon just outside its atmosphere. The incredible g-forces pressed them all back in their seats until the inertial compensator caught up.

They hurtled over the moon at a rate of hundreds of kilometers per second, clouds whipping past far below the ship. After a few moments, Jaina pulled away and completed the slingshot maneuver, letting out a wordless triumphant whoop as they raced away from the moon, headed out into clearer space.

"_A blastboat and some skips are still on our tail,_" Jacen warned from the upper turret.

Jaina hissed out a frustrated sigh. "Agile little pests, aren't they? We've gotta lose them somewhere," she said, looking around. "How about that asteroid belt?"

"No!" both her parents said in unison. Chewbacca added his refusal to the chorus.

"All right then," Jaina said, angling out as far away from the bulk of the Vong fleet as she could. "If you have any other ideas, let's hear them."

"_How about we head for that Star Destroyer?_" Jacen said with a mixture of relief and astonished amusement.

"What Star Destroyer?" Jaina asked, confused.

"_That one, back towards the gas giant,"_ Ami replied.

Jaina half-turned, half-flipped the _Falcon_ into a smuggler's turn, accelerating and swerving madly to avoid running into the pursuing Vong ships.

Just as they had said, there was indeed a gleaming white Imperial Star Destroyer back near the red-and-yellow ringed gas giant. "Hey, he brought friends," Jaina said, noting at least three more identical ships converging on their position.

As they neared the Imperial ships, she saw four more Star Destroyers engaging the Yuuzhan Vong capital ships, pelting them relentlessly with a storm of green turbolaser fire as their fighter squadrons swarmed around the enemy vessels.

"We're getting a transmission," Han said.

"_Attention, Corellian freighter,_" a brusque, militaristic female voice said from their comm. "_This is the Imperial Star Destroyer_ Retribution. _Make for our hangar with all speed. We will protect you."_

"_Belay that, _Retribution," a calm, commanding voice broke in. "_This is Grand Admiral Thrawn aboard the Imperial Star Dreadnought _Judgment. _Make for our hangar, _Millennium Falcon."

"Thrawn?" Han said incredulously.

A moment later, a huge green beam of energy lanced down from somewhere above them and obliterated one of the Vong capital ships in a shower of flame and coral fragments.

Jaina looked up to see a titanic black warship, similar in size to a Super Star Destroyer but with thicker lines and a tremendous weapons emplacement on the prow. Its running lights gleamed against the stars, an unlikely safe harbor in the midst of this chaotic battle.

"On our way, _Judgment_," Han transmitted back.

Jaina steered the _Falcon_ straight for the _Eclipse-_class warship. As they drew nearer, she spared some of her attention from flying to watch the battle, and marveled at the precision display of firepower as the Imperial ships worked in concert against the enemy fleet.

The Vong were clearly dismayed, unprepared for the disciplined strength showed by Thrawn's forces. Scrambling to retreat, they attempted to flee, but the Star Destroyers grimly pursued, lashing them with wave after wave of punishing fusillades.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to being happy to see Imperial ships," Han said sourly, nearly masking the relief in his voice.

Jaina turned at the sound of footsteps along the corridor behind her and saw Revan enter the cockpit. "More of Vader's troops?" he asked. She answered him with a nod.

"Tell them about the Vong that are still in the temple," he said.

"_Judgment,_ be advised that there are a number of Yuuzhan Vong troops still in the temple Lord Vader was excavating earlier," Jaina transmitted.

"_We are aware of the situation," _Thrawn replied. "_Two squads of elite troopers have been dispatched to deal with the intruders._"

Finally, the _Falcon_ drew close enough to the _Judgment_ for the warship's docking tractor beams to take over. Jaina released the controls and slumped back in the pilot's seat, exhausted.

Her father reached forward to squeeze her shoulder. "Good job, kid," Han said with an approving grin. "Couldn't have done better myself."

Jaina smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Dad."

Han unbuckled his crash webbing and stood. "I'm gonna go make sure your brother didn't break anything."

Jaina drew an embarrassed breath in through her teeth. "Sorry about that."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, when the <em>Jade Sabre<em> had arrived and everyone was caught up on what had happened, Darth Vader asked Jenn to speak with him in one of the conference rooms in the command section of the _Judgment_.

Jenn arrived to find the Dark Lord in full armor, muscular arms crossed over his armored chest as he glared balefully at her from behind the dark lenses of his death's-head helmet.

"I understand you removed one of my scientists from my vessel," Vader rumbled.

"You mean your prisoner?" Jenn countered, placing her hands on her hips.

"I do not have to explain myself to you," Vader said, taking a slow step forward.

Jenn tensed, sensing malevolent intent from the Dark Lord; there was a distinct possibility this encounter was about to turn violent.

"I wasn't about to let you just kidnap and imprison an innocent civilian," Jenn said, her hand slowly moving toward her lightsaber.

Vader mirrored her posture, gloved fists planted on his hips. "She was in no danger," he said. "I secured her in the detention center to keep her from wandering around the vessel in the middle of a battle."

"Then why did you take her?" Jenn demanded. "She's Force-sensitive; were you hoping to take her on as an apprentice?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you," Vader said again, taking another step forward. He raised a hand, extending his first two fingers and thumb.

Jenn felt a crushing pressure around her windpipe, and her hand rose to her throat. Black spots began to swarm around the edges of her vision.

"Do _not_ interfere in my operations again," the Dark Lord intoned ominously, then swept past her, his black cloak flaring out around him.

Jenn gasped in a breath and looked after him as the pressure faded away, unnerved.

* * *

><p>"He threatened you?" Mara said indignantly when Jenn reported the encounter to her a few minutes later aboard the <em>Jade Sabre<em> in the _Judgment_'s hangar.

"Not exactly a threat," Jenn replied. "More of a warning."

"And he still didn't explain why he took Danni?" Luke asked, frowning.

Jenn shook her head.

"Well, I'm going to go find out," Mara said, snatching her dark brown robe off the back of the chair where she had tossed it earlier.

"Mara," Luke said, leaning forward in his seat.

"No!" Mara said, turning to point at him. "I am not going to let this slide. Vader claims he isn't a Sith Lord anymore, but I have yet to see any proof. He needs to learn he can't just go around threatening people without consequences."

Without waiting for Luke's answer, she swept off, pulling on her robe as she walked. She sensed her husband and Jenn following along after her, but Mara was too furious to slow down and let them catch up.

"Where is he?" she demanded of the first Imperial crewman she encountered.

"May I ask whom you are-" the man began to ask.

"Darth Vader," Mara cut him off. "Where is he?"

"I believe Lord Vader is in the gymnasium. He ordered a set of practice droids a few minutes ago."

"Thank you," Mara said, setting off for the nearest turbolift.

Luke and Jenn were barely able to duck in before the doors closed. "Mara-" Luke began.

"Why aren't you more angry about this?" Mara demanded.

"Why are you so angry about it?" Luke asked calmly.

"You answer first," Mara said.

Luke sighed. "Yes, I am disappointed that my father is still displaying some dark tendencies. He was wrong to threaten Jenn like that. But consider this." He gestured toward the third person in the turbolift. "How would Vader have handled that twenty years ago?"

"For interfering with one of his plans like that, he probably would have killed her," Mara replied.

"But he didn't," Luke countered. "Granted, it was still wrong for him to do what he did, but at least he isn't as bad as he used to be."

Mara frowned, but couldn't disagree with that.

"Why do you hate him so much, anyway?" Jenn asked her. "I've heard that you used to be his apprentice, but I never did hear exactly why you left him."

"I don't hate Vader," Mara replied, forcing herself to calm down. She was silent for a moment, only the noise of the turbolift making its way through the shaft running through the small car.

"Once, I believed everything he told me," Mara said finally, leaning against the wall of the turbolift car. "He found me when I was just a child, and raised me. In some ways, I guess you could say he was my father." She looked down at her lightsaber, constructed so many years ago under Darth Vader's tutelage. "But eventually he went too far. Once, he tortured Han and almost killed him by freezing him in carbonite, and that was what really opened my eyes."

Mara paused, sighing. "The fact that he did it so casually horrified me. He obviously didn't care if Han died. In that moment I knew Vader had fallen too far into the Dark Side. I couldn't keep serving someone willing to callously throw away a man's life just to test the machinery. So I left him. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done."

Luke looked over at Jenn. "About a year later, he offered to make peace with the Alliance. We fought alongside Vader when his Sith Apprentice turned against him and tried to seize control of the Empire. During that last battle, it seemed to both of us that Vader was finally willing to turn away from the Dark Side. He left before we could talk further, so to see him still under its influence now is disappointing and frustrating for both of us."

Mara nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

"I see," Jenn said with a nod of understanding. "I felt something similar when I heard that Revan had fallen to the Dark Side and begun conquering the Republic. He had already been redeemed when I finally met him again, so I'm still not sure what I would have done if we'd met while he was a Sith Lord." She sighed. "The Dark Side clouds things, makes things more complicated than they should be."

"You're right there," Mara agreed. "Thank you," she said to Luke. "I went off to confront Vader, and I'm still going to do that, but now there's not going to be as much shouting and use of lightsabers." She smirked.

Luke smiled at her as the car slowly halted and the doors opened. Together, the three of them made their way to the gymnasium, where they could hear the spark and crash of dueling lightsabers through the open doors.

Mara entered to find her son Ben sparring with none other than his grandfather, who had taken off his helmet but was still in his armor and cloak.

"No," Vader was saying to Ben as Mara entered the wide, open practice space. "Catch my strikes higher up on your blade. This is why that Vong warrior was able to destroy your lightsaber, because you parry too close to the hilt. Try again."

Vader took a step back and slashed his white practice lightsaber down in a relatively slow but powerful left-to-right diagonal strike. Ben shifted his stance and caught the blow with his own practice saber near the middle of the blade.

"Good," Vader said with an approving smile. "Try it a little faster this time."

He advanced with a series of aggressive, powerful overhand strikes, increasing his speed with each step. Mara watched as Ben kept up, slowly retreating. At first, she wondered what he was doing before she realized Ben was allowing Vader to force him backwards toward one of the walls.

When they neared the wall, Ben suddenly smashed Vader's lightsaber aside and hurled himself into a Force-enhanced backflip. At the top of his arc, his feet touched the wall, and he pushed off with a powerful thrust of his legs. This sent him into a high twisting flip over Vader's head, higher up than he could reach with his lightsaber. Vader swiped at him, but Ben was half a meter too high up.

When Ben touched down, he immediately hurled himself into another backflip, then jumped forward in a long, leaping slash. Vader started to catch the slash on his own saber, then suddenly spun aside, allowing Ben to stumble forward. He reached out to lightly tap the back of his grandson's neck with his practice saber.

"You're dead," Vader said grimly. Then his lips quirked in a slight smile. "Though it is unlikely you will often face an opponent with my skills. The Yuuzhan Vong rely more on brute force than finesse. The right application of skill can overcome any amount of strength."

Ben smirked. "So what you're saying is, fight smarter, not harder?"

Vader nodded once. "Precisely."

"Anakin's Master says that a lot," Ben said, closing down his practice saber.

"Then he is wise… for a Jedi," Vader replied. He paused for a moment, then took his lightsaber from his belt and extended it pommel-first to Ben. "Here," he said.

Ben accepted the lightsaber with a questioning look.

"I constructed it when I was a Jedi," Vader explained. "Yours was destroyed; you may have it."

Ben looked down at the lightsaber. "Really?"

"Consider it a… gift," Vader said, seeming slightly uncomfortable. He finally noticed Mara and the others, and a frown passed across his face.

"I'm… not sure what to say," Ben said, still looking at the lightsaber. Mara sensed him examining the weapon with the Force, as well.

"'Thank you' is what you should say," said Luke, walking over to stand next to his son. He exchanged a silent look with Vader.

"Thank you," Ben said, looking up at his grandfather.

"Those practice droids are programmed to fight like typical Vong warriors," Vader said with a gesture to a group of skeletal combat droids that stood at the far end of the gymnasium. "My lightsaber's balance may be different from yours; it would be wise to accustom yourself to it."

Ben glanced at his parents, realizing they wanted to talk to Vader. "I'll go do that," he said, igniting the lightsaber. He took a few experimental swings with it as he walked over to the droids.

"I've known you my entire life, and sometimes I still feel like I don't understand you at all," Mara said as Vader turned to them.

Vader's face settled into a neutral expression, and he did not reply. "You came here to demand an explanation, I suppose," he said with a gesture at Jenn.

"Surprisingly enough, I didn't really appreciate being threatened," the Jedi Master replied evenly.

"What you fail to understand is that I have been fighting the Yuuzhan Vong for twenty years," Vader said with a trace of impatience. "And I spent the twenty years before that preparing for a full-scale war with them. I am trying to keep this galaxy from being overrun by a race of bloodthirsty savages who are intent on destroying our very civilization; I have neither the time nor the patience for niceties."

Mara crossed her arms. "At least explain why you kidnapped Danni."

"She is a scientist, and Force-sensitive besides," Vader said. "I thought she would be able to help me understand the Rakatan power source concealed in the temple."

"And for that, you decided to kidnap her with no explanation and throw her in your brig?" Jenn said dubiously.

"In case you have forgotten, I was preparing for a battle," Vader said caustically. "The brig is one of the most secure sections of the _Executor_; I could be sure she would be safe there."

"There's little point in arguing about it now," Luke said calmly, doing his best to keep tempers from flaring any further. "Father, if you're going to work with us, you're going to have to be more… polite in your interactions. We're all on the same side here."

Vader frowned, but did not disagree. "I shall try to restrain my temper in the future," he allowed grudgingly after a moment.

Luke gave him a look, and Vader's frown deepened slightly, but he continued. "I… overreacted," he said to Jenn. "I apologize."

Mara thought, but did not say aloud, that Luke was perhaps the one person who could have gotten Darth Vader to make such a concession.

"If you will excuse me, I have other preparations to make," Vader said brusquely. "There will be another briefing with Thrawn at 0900 tomorrow."

He swept past them and left, stalking off into the stark gray corridors.

"That went better than expected," Jenn said with a glance after him.

"Yes, it did," Mara said, looking over at Luke. "Thanks to you."

"You have to focus on the good in him," Luke said. "Though sometimes it's hard to see."

"Sometimes," Mara said softly, watching her son practice with his new lightsaber.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. It was mostly IRL stuff, but my beta reader and I also went over this chapter thoroughly to get the action sequences just right. Personally, I'm rather proud of the result, so major thanks to hairyhen as usual. Till next time!<p> 


	9. Last of the Old

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Nine<strong>  
>(Last of the Old)<p>

_3,954 years before the Treaty of Alderaan…_

Jennyrija Talmak stood in the Trayus Core, the heart of the ancient Sith Academy on Malachor V. The Core, a meditation chamber for the master of the academy, rumbled slightly around her and Kreia, who stood a few meters away on the huge, glowing red mosaic floor. The spires of the Core curved up around them like grasping fingers, shaking in one of the increasingly frequent earthquakes of Malachor V, the nearly dead planet held together now only by the remnants of the Mass-Shadow Generator.

Jenn paused for one last look at Kreia, also known as Darth Traya; her mentor, her friend… her enemy.

Kreia was badly wounded after their lightsaber duel, barely able to stay on her feet. She had just finished foretelling the fate of Jenn's companions and apprentices, and had urged her to go after Revan to the Unknown Regions.

Revan… Kreia's greatest student, as she often claimed. Had Kreia been the one to send him off to fight the true Sith, the remnants of the ancient empire of Naga Sadow? Had she been the one to direct him there the first time, where he met whatever had caused him to fall to the Dark Side?

Whatever the case, Jenn would soon find out; she was determined to go after Revan and help him if she could.

"Rest now, Kreia," she said gently. "Your time in this place is over."

With an almost grateful sigh, Kreia collapsed to the ground. Jenn sensed her death in the Force even as she fell, and was at once sad and relieved; Kreia had helped Jenn regain her connection to the Force, and had taught her many things - but at the same time, had been manipulating her from the moment they had met. And now, here at the end, they had been forced to fight.

"There you are!" Atton's voice called from behind her. Jenn turned to see him approaching along one of the long, narrow stone bridges leading from the Core back into the academy. He raised his comlink to his lips as he walked. "Hey, Mira, I found her. Bring up the _Hawk._"

Atton bore a burn on his upper arm, dark against his off-white sleeve, but otherwise he seemed to be all right. Jenn hadn't been able to talk to him or the others after she had released them from the academy's prison cells, so she was relieved that they'd made it safely away from the academy and its seemingly endless garrison of Sith.

As he approached, Atton looked down at the still form of Kreia on the ground behind Jenn. "So she's finally dead, huh?" he said, attempting to keep the sourness out of his voice but failing.

Jenn nodded silently, clipping her lightsaber to her belt. She tugged at the lapels of her dark blue outer robe, absently adjusting it back into place from where it had shifted during the duel.

Atton casually ran the fingers of one hand back through his dark hair, though Jenn noted his other hand was still at his side next to his lightsaber. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry to see the old witch go," he said nonchalantly. Jenn sensed deeper emotion in the roguish young man, though, thoughts he decided not to share with her.

The ground rocked beneath them, knocking Jenn off-balance. Atton caught her arm and helped her keep her feet, looking around warily at the dim, gloomy Core. This earthquake had been the strongest yet.

"We got the _Hawk_ fixed while you were running around in here," Atton said, tugging Jenn back toward the narrow stone bridge, where she could hear the distant whine of engines. "HK-47 says Bao-Dur's remote is standing by to activate the Mass-Shadow Generator on your order."

Jenn watched as the _Ebon Hawk_ slowly drew closer, ascending from the abyss beneath the Core like a bright island in a receding sea of darkness. She sensed the others were already on board, and when her starship drew nearer, saw red-haired Mira at the controls in the cockpit with gray-armored Mandalore, carefully positioning the boarding ramp near the stone bridge.

Atton jumped onto the ramp, and Jenn followed a moment later. She braced herself against the curved bulkhead next to the main hold as the _Hawk_ shifted and began its ascent from the Core. Atton rushed ahead to the cockpit, and Jenn heard him shout for Mira to get out of the way so he could take the controls.

"Pleased Realization: You have survived your confrontation with that withered old meatbag," HK-47 said from where he stood next to the main hold's central holoprojector. "Statement: I was able to help the remote overcome the fat one's attempt at interference, so it is standing by to destroy this wretched planet once and for all."

Jenn gave him a weary nod. She'd suspected G0-T0 would pull something like that, so she was glad HK had been there to stop him. "Send the signal once we're clear," she ordered. "This place shouldn't be left for anyone else to find."

She slowly made her way forward into the cockpit and dropped into the passenger chair behind Mandalore, who was in the copilot's seat. Neither he nor Atton spared her a glance, too focused on flying the _Ebon Hawk_, but Mira turned to her from the seat behind Atton.

"Hey, you all right?" she asked with a concerned look.

"It can wait until we're out of here," Jenn said tiredly with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Looks like you found her just in time," Mandalore said to Atton, hands flying over the controls. "The planet's already coming apart around us!"

Jenn braced herself, gripping the armrests of her seat as the _Hawk _climbed up through the rapidly collapsing tunnel to the surface. When the _Hawk_ finally dodged the last crumbling chunk of stone and soared out into the open green skies of Malachor, she released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Minutes later the _Hawk_ was free, flying out into deep space with the shattered ruins of Malachor V slowly disintegrating behind them.

"Where to?" Atton asked, half turning in his seat to look over the center console at Jenn.

"Back to Dantooine," she replied, standing up.

"Why?" Mira asked. "All the Jedi are dead."

Jenn placed a hand on Mira's shoulder and met her gaze. "Not all of them," she said with a slight smile.

Mira's hazel eyes flicked down to Jenn's lightsaber, then her own, and she smiled. "No, I suppose not." Her expression shifted into a teasing smirk, and she raised a hand to tug at the lapel of her dark green leather jacket. "I'm still not wearing robes. It's like fighting in your pajamas; I don't know how you do it."

Jenn chuckled and patted her shoulder before heading back to the main hold. She found Mical sitting in one of the chairs around the holoprojector, holding the hilt of his own recently-constructed lightsaber in one hand. He was staring at it thoughtfully, but looked up at Jenn as she walked past him.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, leaning forward in preparation to stand.

Jenn waved him back. "I'm fine. Relax. You're going to be busier than ever soon."

"As you wish," Mical said, leaning back in his chair. She could tell he wanted to press the matter further, but thankfully he did not.

Visas entered the main hold and walked toward the other bank of seats beside the holoprojector, looking at Jenn curiously. But she said nothing, obviously sensing that her teacher did not want to talk right now. Instead, she gracefully lowered herself into one of the chairs and began to meditate.

Jenn headed for the port dormitory, and on the way, passed the corridor leading to the cargo hold. Brianna stood there with a concerned look on her face, but before she could say anything, Jenn raised a hand to point at her.

"Before you ask, I'm fine," she said. "We can talk about it more once we reach Dantooine."

Brianna seemed unconvinced. "If you are sure."

"I'm sure." Jenn paused in the doorway to the dormitory. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be alone for a little while."

Brianna briefly inclined her head. "Very well. I will tell the others you do not wish to be disturbed."

Jenn closed the door behind herself. Taking a deep breath, she crossed to the middle bunk, where she sat down.

She knew she would have to leave them all behind. She and her apprentices were now all that remained of the Jedi Order besides Bastila and a handful of others; Atton, Mira, Visas, Mical and Brianna should by all logic stay behind to pass on what she had taught them. Jenn had already decided she had to go to the Unknown Regions after Revan and help him in any way she could - a task she was unsure she could accomplish alone. But Revan himself would argue that her apprentices were needed more in the Republic; though she hated to leave them, she knew without a doubt she would have to.

She felt a sob welling up inside herself, and after all that happened to her today, she could not keep it back. Another followed with overwhelming force, and Jenn let her head sink into her hands.

* * *

><p>When they touched down on the newly repaired landing field of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine and headed inside, they found Admiral Carth Onasi and several of Revan's other friends waiting in the council chamber. Jenn knew Jolee Bindo, Mission Vao the Twi'lek and Zaalbar the Wookiee only from Carth's description, but recognized them as she rounded the corner behind her companions into the wide circular chamber, which was currently open to the sky.<p>

Also there was Bastila Shan, Revan's wife, with their daughter propped on her hip. The child was about three or four years of age, with Revan's dark, slightly wavy hair and intense brown eyes.

Jenn waited patiently as Carth greeted her companions and introduced the others. Jolee, a dark-skinned older man with a shaved-bald head and gray-white beard, stepped forward to shake Mical's hand. "Jolee Bindo," he said. "I'm the galaxy's oldest Padawan."

Mical blinked in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Jolee grinned mischievously. "It's a long story. Would you like to hear it?"

"Certainly," Mical replied. "I have heard of some of your adventures, but I would like to hear them from you."

Mission chuckled. "Your funeral, pal. Once he gets going he doesn't stop."

"Oh, hush," Jolee said irascibly. But a smile hid at the corners of his expression. "Come here, young fellow. You might appreciate the tale of Andor Vex…"

"What have you been up to, Canderous?" Carth asked Mandalore. "I understand you and your troops helped out in the battle over Telos."

"Yeah, we were the ones who blew up the _Ravager_," Mandalore replied.

As her companions moved off to speak with the others, Jenn approached Bastila. "Could we talk?" she asked.

"Certainly," Bastila replied. She handed her daughter to the blue-skinned Twi'lek standing next to her. "Mission, will you look after Varen for a moment?"

"Sure," Mission said with a smile. She looked down at the child. "You wanna hang out with me and Uncle Z for a while?"

"Fly, fly!" Varen burbled, grinning.

Zaalbar picked the toddler up and tossed her high into the air. She giggled as he caught her. "Again!"

Jenn smiled at Bastila as they withdrew to an adjoining room. "She's beautiful."

Bastila smiled back. "Thank you." Her smile slowly faded. "Did you find out anything more?"

Jenn shook her head grimly. "Not really. Kreia said Revan went to fight the Sith, the true Sith, to keep them from invading the Republic. I intend to go after him."

"He's still alive; I know it," Bastila said determinedly. "I would go with you, but…" She gestured back to where her daughter ran laughing around the council chamber, Zaalbar growling playfully as he chased her.

"I understand," Jenn said. She met the other woman's eyes. "I won't stop until I find him."

Bastila reached into a pocket of her robe and pulled out a small, dark gray datacard. "Please, give this to him when you do."

"What is it?" Jenn asked as she accepted it.

"Pictures of Varen, mostly," Bastila answered. "As well as a few messages to him I've recorded over the years. I'd hoped to send this with whoever T3 found to go after Revan," she said with a gesture at the astromech droid, who sat near the entrance to the chamber, watching the others.

Jenn nodded silently and tucked the datacard into her pocket.

Bastila hesitated for a moment, then withdrew another item from the inner pocket of her robe. It was large and oval-shaped, wrapped in an old black cloak. "Give this to him as well," she said quietly, handing the bundle to Jenn.

From the weight and feel of the bundle, Jenn could guess what it was without unwrapping it. She solemnly secured it in an inner pocket of her own robe, knowing what it meant.

"I suppose I'd better explain things to them," Jenn said, looking over her shoulder at her companions and the others.

Bastila followed her as Jenn walked back into the wide, circular council chamber and stopped near the entrance nearest the corridor that led back up to the landing field.

The others picked up on her troubled thoughts and fell silent, looking at her curiously. Jenn paused for a moment, taking one last look at her friends.

Mira, her short red hair held back out of her face with a dark green leather headband, was still dressed in the armored leather jacket and trousers she had worn as a bounty hunter. Her lightsaber looked completely at home among the other weapons on her belt, and she appeared ready for anything. She had a knowing look on her face, as if she already suspected what Jenn was about to say.

Atton was also still dressed in his normal leather vest, light-colored shirt and dark trousers, his lightsaber tucked into his custom holster just in front of his blaster. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, impatiently waiting for her to begin.

Brianna, the young white-haired Echani, wore the gray robes that had once belonged to her mother, her lightsaber clipped to her belt. She had obviously embraced her heritage and talents as a Jedi with pride, which further reinforced Jenn's decision not to tell her what had really become of her mother.

Mical wore his plain and unassuming brown and off-white robes naturally as well, looking every centimeter the Jedi he had always wanted to be. In many years he would be a strong and wise Jedi Master, Jenn was sure.

And Visas, the former Sith, dressed in her black and dark red robes, her gold-embroidered headdress concealing most of her face. Like Mira, she seemed to already suspect what Jenn was going to say, and wore a slight frown.

"As far as I know, we are all that is left of the Jedi Order," Jenn began, gesturing around at her apprentices, Jolee, and Bastila.

"What about that cat girl?" Mandalore asked. "I was expecting her to be here, too."

Bastila glared at him. "Juhani was among those who went to Katarr, Canderous," she said coldly. "She died with the others."

"Oh," Mandalore said gruffly, though his tone held a slight hint of apology.

"The Republic is going to need you," Jenn went on. "Things should stabilize now that we've defeated the Sith Triumvirate, but you all have a lot of rebuilding to do. The galaxy is going to need the Jedi more than ever in the coming years."

She paused, clasping her hands behind her back. "I've taught you as best I can. It's probably not the way the old Masters would have done things, but maybe it's time for a change. I believe the Jedi need to adapt, to become what the galaxy needs them to be, instead of trying to force their members to conform to the old ways." She gestured to the other two Jedi. "Jolee and Bastila can teach you anything else you'll need to know."

"Why can you not continue to instruct us?" Brianna asked, confused.

Jenn paused again, working up her courage. "Because I can't stay here with you," she said at last. "I… have to leave."

The looks of confusion and hurt on the faces of her friends were almost too much for Jenn to bear, but she forced herself to press on.

"The true Sith, remnants of the ancient empire defeated in the Great Hyperspace War, are still out there in the Unknown Regions," she continued. "Korriban and Malachor were two of their strongholds Revan found and explored during and after the Mandalorian Wars. After the last war, he remembered what he found and went to fight them, to stop them from stirring from their hiding places and attacking the Republic."

"And you intend to follow him, as you did in the Mandalorian Wars," Visas said knowingly. She drew herself up in determination, one hand brushing the hilt of her lightsaber. "I am going with you," she said. "My life for yours."

"So am I," Mira said, hands on her hips. "You're gonna need all the help you can get."

"I am coming with you as well," Brianna began.

Jenn held up a hand. "No, you're not," she said firmly. "None of you are."

"Don't be stupid," Atton snapped. "If you're going off to fight Sith, _real_ Sith, you are definitely going to need help." She could sense his worry, though he was struggling not to show it.

Jenn forced herself to remain calm. "I can take care of myself," she said. "This won't be the first war I've fought." She looked around at her friends again. "You, all of you, are needed _here_ in the Republic more than anywhere else. The Jedi Order _must_ be rebuilt." She felt her voice start to break. "Don't… Don't make this any harder than it has to be. Please."

"Will we ever see you again?" Mical asked softly.

"I don't know exactly what's waiting for me out there, so I won't make any promises," Jenn replied. "But I will come back to help you if I can." She clasped her hands behind her back again. "You've all come so far since I first met you, and you've accomplished so much. Be proud of yourselves, as I am proud of you."

She glanced at Carth, then back at her friends. "Atris is still at the polar academy on Telos, and must answer for her crimes. That will be your first duty as the new Jedi Council." She looked down at the ground with a sad sigh. "Also, see to it that Bao-Dur gets a proper burial. His sacrifice made it possible for us to win our last battles."

"We will make sure he is not forgotten," Brianna promised.

Jenn drew and ignited her lightsaber, then held it out towards them in salute. "As the last remaining Jedi Master of the Order, I name you all full Jedi Knights, defenders and protectors of the Republic, guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy."

Her apprentices arranged themselves in a semicircle in front of her and drew their lightsabers, the brilliant blades shining against the clear Dantooine sky above them. Jolee and Bastila joined them, adding their own lightsabers to the circle.

The last Jedi, the Lost Jedi, exchanged a silent final look before Jenn spoke again.

"Farewell, my friends," she said, closing down her lightsaber and returning it to her belt. "May the Force be with you."

With that, she turned and walked out of the council chamber, heading up the corridor to where the _Ebon Hawk _waited.

As she reached the bend in the corridor that would take her out of sight, Jenn heard the rest of the Jedi say, "May the Force be with you," as one.

She paused and smiled to herself, but did not look back. She kept walking until she reached the landing field where T3-M4 waited at the foot of the _Ebon Hawk_'s boarding ramp.

"Already brought their things off the ship, I see," Jenn said with a gesture at the orderly stack of crates and footlockers near the door.

T3 beeped an affirmative, then whistled a question.

Jenn looked back at the door to the Enclave one final time. "Yes, I'm ready to go," she replied. "You got the coordinates locked in?"

T3 twittered a confirmation as he rolled up the ramp ahead of her. She followed and hit the control to raise the ramp and seal the hatch behind herself, then headed up to the cockpit.

"Then let's go find what's waiting for us."

* * *

><p>"Master Talmak? Master Talmak?"<p>

In her temporary quarters on the _Eclipse_-class warship _Judgment_, Jenn felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, and was shaken from her reverie. She opened her eyes and looked up at the gray-uniformed crewman who stood next to her chair, a black-haired young woman of Grand Admiral Thrawn's blue-skinned species.

"Yes?" Jenn asked.

"Please forgive the interruption," said the Chiss ensign, "but Lord Vader and the Grand Admiral are meeting with Master Revan in one of the cargo bays. "Master Revan says there is something that you need to see."

Jenn stood and started to reach for her dark blue outer robe, which she had left draped over the back of the low couch nearby, but the ensign was closer and picked it up first. "Thank you," she said as the ensign handed it to her.

The ensign inclined her head politely and gestured toward the door. "This way, please."

Jenn followed her, and a few minutes later, found Darth Vader in his silver-trimmed black uniform and cloak, Grand Admiral Thrawn in his spotless white uniform with gold epaulets, and Revan in his black and dark brown robes, standing beside a row of Yuuzhan Vong corpses in one of the _Judgment_'s huge, gray-walled cargo bays. Behind the three men were four of the dropships from the Rakatan temple's moon, one of them heavily damaged.

"There is the proof," Vader was saying as Jenn walked over to them. He glanced up as she approached, and Jenn thought she saw a slight tightening of his expression, but he said nothing.

"It would seem your theory is correct, Lord Vader," Thrawn said, looking down at the corpses. "They are indeed identical, and there are too many of them for it to be the result of multiple birth or other natural phenomena."

"Yuuzhan Vong rarely have even twins," Vader went on, gesturing down at the row of bodies. "It would be exceedingly improbable for octuplets to exist, let alone be serving as ordinary footsoldiers. The Vong would probably attach some sort of religious significance to a multiple birth and assign them positions of honor, not send them off with invading troops."

"What's going on?" Jenn asked, looking down at the bodies. All eight dead Vong had identical facial features, though their scars and tattoos were slightly different.

"The Vong have apparently discovered some form of cloning," Revan said. "The troopers who secured the temple noticed something odd about a few of the warriors they found there, and reported it. Vader tells me he's suspected this for some time now."

"It appears to also extend to their ships," Thrawn said with a gesture to the dropships behind them. "Yuuzhan Vong ships are grown, not built, which is why it is odd that these vessels are identical in every detail."

"The DNA of these warriors bears none of the marks of cloning, however," Vader said. "At least, not any of the methods we are familiar with."

"Strange," Jenn remarked, kneeling to get a better look at the warriors. They were _completely_ identical, right down to the small cluster of three moles all of them had on their left temple.

She sensed a twinge in the Force and turned to see Revan examining one of the dropships. "What is it?" she called over to him, standing.

"Do you sense that?" Revan said, looking over his shoulder at her; one hand was still on the bumpy coral hull of the dropship.

"Sense what?" Jenn asked, walking over to him.

Wordlessly, Revan grabbed her left wrist and placed her hand on the hull of the ship.

Jenn stretched out to the Force and examined the vessel. At first she felt nothing, the usual absence from the Force, but as she concentrated harder, she felt something very, very faint, like whispers heard from far away.

She opened her eyes and turned to Revan. "What _is_ that?"

"I don't know quite how to describe it," he said, frowning. "It's like the Force is not _in_ these ships, but _on_ them, if that makes any sense. Like seeing… tool marks, on a finished product."

"What are you saying?" Thrawn asked, looking at Revan.

Revan absently rubbed the edge of his thumb over the whiskers just under his lower lip. "They feel… They feel almost like the ships I made with the Star Forge, though not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Vader asked.

Revan shook his head, glancing back at the ship again. "It feels like the Force signature of Rakatan tech, though distorted… different. If I didn't know better I'd think these ships were made by a Rakatan factory." He frowned again. "But the Yuuzhan Vong hate technology; if they found the Star Forge, they'd destroy it, not use it."

"I thought you said the Star Forge was destroyed," Vader said, frowning himself.

"It was," Revan confirmed. "I watched it explode, and saw the pieces sink into the sun. There is no way it could have survived."

"Could there have been another?" Thrawn asked, glowing red eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Revan's lips drew together as he thought about this. "There was never any mention of a second Star Forge in any of the ancient records I've accessed. I've always been under the impression there was only one."

"What about a prototype?" asked Thrawn. "You mentioned this Generator was a prototype for the Star Forge's reactor; could there be other Rakatan prototypes hidden in their ancient bases?"

"It's a bit of stretch to think anything else would still be around after thirty thousand years," Jenn said. "Though, considering the auto-repair systems in a lot of their tech, it isn't impossible."

"This bears further investigation," Vader said to Thrawn.

"Neither of us can go," the Grand Admiral replied. "We will both be needed here, for the war." He frowned slightly. "And you have already decided on your next mission, Lord Vader," he added, sounding to Jenn like he was annoyed but attempting not to show it.

"It is still our best chance," Vader said testily. "It requires further study, but I believe it is possible."

"We can discuss it more at the briefing," Thrawn replied mildly. His comlink buzzed, and he turned away to answer it. "Yes?"

"_We've just received a message from Admiral Piett, sir,_" an officer reported. "_He says the rest of the fleet has secured the Belkadan system, the _Executor'_s repairs are complete, and it is on its way. It should be here later today, sir."_

"Good," Thrawn replied. "Hold any further non-priority messages until after the briefing."

"_Yes, sir,_" the officer said, and signed off.

Thrawn excused himself, saying he would see them at the briefing, and Vader left a moment later.

"Before you go, I have something for you," Jenn said as Revan turned to leave. She reached into her pocket and brought out the datacard which Chewbacca had returned to her last night, saying it was still readable.

"Bastila gave this to you," Revan said as Jenn handed him the datacard. "I can feel it," he added, his voice unusually soft. "Even after this long."

"It's mostly pictures of your daughter, as well as a few other messages," Jenn said. "I meant to give it to you as soon as I found you, but so much happened so quickly…"

Revan gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

Jenn hesitated for a moment, then brought out the other item. "She also gave me this."

Revan accepted the cloth-wrapped bundle and started to unfold the black cloak. His brows rose in surprise as he recognized the object it had concealed.

Slowly, he held up the mask he had once worn during the Mandalorian Wars and his later conquests as a Dark Lord of the Sith, a red and gray helmet of vaguely Mandalorian design.

"She kept this?" he said in a surprised murmur.

"I didn't get a chance to ask her why," said Jenn, "but maybe she thought you would need it, if you were going to fight another war."

Revan frowned down at his mask. "Maybe," he said quietly. He wrapped the mask back up and tucked it into his pocket, then looked back up at her. "Come on," he said. "Vader has an… unorthodox idea for how to fight the Yuuzhan Vong. This is going to be an interesting briefing."

* * *

><p>"I still don't know whether that's crazy or brilliant," Mara said from her seat near the middle of the glossy black table of the conference room.<p>

A few seats down, Jacen agreed with his aunt. Darth Vader had just explained where Galen Marek had come from, an alternate reality parallel to their own. The physics behind it went right over Jacen's head, but he had to admit Vader's plan to cross over and bring back another reality's Star Forge was brilliant… in a crazy sort of way.

"How do you know that's even possible?" Jacen's father asked.

Vader looked over at Han. "Marek's mere presence here is the proof that it can be done," he replied. "Tests have proven that he is not a clone, and it is impossible that Darth Nova survived Korriban's destruction. It is the only explanation." He gestured toward the table's holoprojector, which displayed an image of the unique fighter belonging to Marek. "Emperor Fel had a team of scientists thoroughly examine Marek's ship before we arrived on Coruscant, and I have sent those results ahead to my own scientists working out of Vanguard Base Alpha. They have been conferring with Danni Quee, who, after our initial… misunderstanding, has been examining the ship further here."

Jacen and Jenn exchanged a brief wryly amused look across the table, but neither said anything.

"According to Marek's testimony and the initial report," Vader went on, "he was returning to Coruscant from a mission, during which his hyperdrive and shields had been damaged. As he was making his final approach to Coruscant, his ship was struck by energy from an unusually powerful solar storm, and the resulting overload caused his hyperdrive to malfunction and activate without a set destination. He had also temporarily deactivated some of the standard safety protocols, and it is currently estimated that somehow this combination shifted Marek over from his reality into ours."

"So, assuming you're able to duplicate this effect, you want to go back to Marek's reality and see if the Star Forge still exists there?" Revan asked. "Seems like a bit of a long shot to me."

"I agree with Revan," said Thrawn. "This phenomenon concerning Marek is interesting, but there are more pressing demands on our time and resources." He frowned. "I will state again my recommendation that you postpone this endeavor and focus instead on preparing for the arrival of the Yuuzhan Vong's main fleet. We will have to choose which systems to fortify and which-"

"I am going and that is final," Vader snapped with a glare at the Chiss admiral. "I am confident that you can handle all tactical responsibilities yourself in my absence."

Thrawn frowned again, and Jacen noticed a slight narrowing of his eyes, but he made no reply other than, "As you wish, Lord Vader."

"Moving on," Vader continued, "these cloned Yuuzhan Vong soldiers and ships bear further investigation. Since the Force is apparently related to their development, though I do not yet know how, this mission must obviously be led by a Jedi. Ordinarily, I would go myself, but I am otherwise engaged." He looked around the table. "Volunteers?"

Revan and Jenn exchanged a glance, and Jacen sensed them briefly communicating through the Force before Jenn said, "I'll go."

"I would volunteer," said Revan, "but if you're serious about finding another Star Forge and using it, I'm going with you. You'll need me."

"Agreed," said Vader.

The intercom buzzed, and Vader reached out to the controls in front of his seat to answer it. "Yes?"

"_Lord Vader, we've been hailed by an approaching New Republic fighter, X-wing class. Its pilot says he is a Jedi Master named Corran Horn, and he needs to speak to Grand Master Skywalker in person right away."_

"Did he say what it was about?" Luke asked.

"_No, Master Skywalker, he wouldn't say. He said he was part of the New Republic task force sent to secure Belkadan, and that he was personally asked by the Chancellor to deliver a message to you. He was directed here by the _Executor_ before it left the system."_

"Bring him aboard and send him straight here," Vader ordered. Then he turned to Jenn. "Your expedition will be twofold; there is also a planet somewhere in the Unknown Regions called Zonama Sekot that you must search for. I believe it is in some way related to the Yuuzhan Vong, yet not controlled by them. I first encountered it as a boy on one of my Jedi missions, but since then I have been unable to locate it."

As the briefing went on, Vader and Thrawn further described the situation in the Unknown Regions and their plans for the defense of the New Republic and Empire's border worlds, but Jacen was distracted, thinking instead about which expedition he wanted to join.

He glanced up as Corran Horn walked into the conference room, still dressed in his orange flightsuit. Uncle Luke's astromech droid R2-D2 followed him, beeping a greeting as he rolled in.

Jacen noticed Corran give Vader and Thrawn a wary glance, but after a moment he evidently decided they needed to hear the message as well.

"A few days ago, New Republic Intelligence received a message from Talon Karrde in which he suggested they take a closer look at some apparently unrelated fires that have been reported on several worlds in the last few weeks," Corran began. "Something about it caught one of his agents' attention, so they did a little investigating and it turns out the fires are connected. All the fires were in government buildings, and they started under similar circumstances. When the agent examined the responders' camera recordings, he saw several figures in gray hooded robes at most of the fires."

"A man in a gray hooded robe approached me on Coruscant," Luke said, "and said some cryptic things about fire. I sensed the Force within him, though it felt… odd."

Corran nodded. "You're not the only one. More than one Jedi has been approached in the last few days by a robed and hooded man or woman who said strange things about fire and burning before disappearing into the crowd. We think it might be some sort of Sith cult; one of the Jedi approached reported the man said something about a Burned Lord."

"Oh, nice, a fire-themed Sith Lord," Han said. "What's his name, Darth Cendiary?"

Vader glared at Jacen's father, then turned to Corran. "How do you know they are Sith?" he inquired.

"They're burning down government buildings and giving vague, ominous warnings to Jedi," Corran replied flatly. "They certainly aren't Light-Siders."

Vader crossed his arms, frowning. "Not all who use the Dark Side are Sith. There are many Force-using orders in the galaxy."

Corran shrugged. "Based on the apparent level of skill, the current theory is that at least their leader is one of your former Sith." When Vader did not reply, he went on. "We don't know much about this fire cult, so we're playing it cautious for the time being. We don't know how far this spreads or their full capabilities, either, so the Chancellor has requested that we deliver all briefings about them in person. They seem to be trying to keep a low profile for now, so we don't want to tip them off that we've started investigating them."

"Who knows about this?" Leia asked.

"About the pattern as a whole?" Corran said. "Right now, just Talon Karrde, a few NRI agents, the Chancellor, and the people in this room." He looked over at Luke and Leia. "The Chancellor told me to ask you to investigate this personally."

They exchanged a glance, and Leia said, "I'll go. Luke has a lot to deal with here, and I need to get back to Alderaan anyway. I have to bring the rest of the Order up to speed on the Yuuzhan Vong situation so we can work with the military to prepare our defense."

"We all have our missions, and little time to prepare for them," said Vader. "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: The plot thickens... ;) Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	10. First of the New

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Ten<strong>  
>(First of the New)<p>

Jacen sighed in mild frustration, still no closer to reaching a decision than before.

For some time, he had been wandering the halls of the _Judgment_, considering which of the upcoming missions he would join. Three possible paths lay before him, and he was unsure of where he would be most needed.

The idea of accompanying Vader into an alternate universe intrigued him. It would also give them an opportunity to become more closely acquainted, and he had to admit to himself that this was something he wanted, if only to better understand his grandfather's choices.

Alternately, he could go with Jenn on her mission into the Unknown Regions to find Zonama Sekot. The mystery of these seemingly cloned Yuuzhan Vong could well be vital to their war strategy, and he had no doubt it would prove to be an exciting adventure in its own right.

The third path was to return to the Republic with his mother and take part in her investigation of this supposed fire cult, about which virtually nothing was known. Though it was seemingly unconnected to the war effort, Jacen nonetheless had a feeling that it might turn out to be more significant than anyone guessed.

As he walked, Jacen sensed Ben nearby, also wandering through the massive warship. He returned the mental greeting as his cousin sensed him in turn, and slowed to a stop so that Ben could catch up.

"Grandfather gave me a lightsaber," Ben said without preamble as he approached. He held up the chrome-plated weapon.

Jacen extended a hand, and Ben placed the lightsaber in his palm. Through the Force, he felt strong emotion associated with the weapon; Anakin Skywalker had done many things with this blade, both good and evil.

"And he just gave it to you?" Jacen asked, turning the lightsaber over in his hands.

"Just like that," Ben replied. "I ran into him not far from the gym, and he said he'd heard my lightsaber had been destroyed in the battle at the temple. He offered to teach me how to better defend against attacks like that, and before he went off to talk to my mom and dad, he gave it to me. He called it a gift."

Jacen handed it back to him. "It's a good weapon," he said. He met his cousin's eyes. "Are you going to use it?"

Ben was silent for a moment, looking down at the lightsaber in his palm. "Yes," he said finally, closing his fingers around it. He looked up at Jacen. "What do you think of him?"

"I'm not sure," Jacen replied with a slight frown. "I definitely sense the Dark Side in him, but at the same time, he doesn't seem evil to me. It's strange."

"I can see why my mother gets so angry with him sometimes," Ben said, "but at the same time, my father is right, too; there is good in him. I'm not sure what to think of him, either."

"Well, we're probably going to be spending a lot more time with him," Jacen said. "Who knows how long this war is going to last." He gestured to the nearest turbolift. "I'm going to go find Jaina. If you want to get caught up on what I learned at the briefing, meet me in my quarters later."

Ben nodded once. "I'll go get the others."

* * *

><p>Jaina twisted herself away from her opponent's kick, lashing down with her electric-violet lightsaber a moment later in an attempt to sever the striking limb.<p>

The skeletal combat droid blocked her strike with its white-bladed practice saber, then immediately spun on its other leg to kick her behind the knees. Jaina leaped over the kick, blocked the combat droid's diagonal slash as she landed, then spun away to give herself some distance.

The droid advanced immediately, smashing her lightsaber to the side with a powerful two-handed strike, then lashed out with a kick at her abdomen. Again, Jaina twisted to the side, then hurled herself into a Force-enhanced backflip to regain distance.

A second droid leaped out from behind one of the simulated boulders in the _Judgment_'s combat training room, slashing high for her neck. Jaina ducked under the blow, spun, and came up with a fast slash through the combat droid's neck. As the decapitated droid toppled to the side, she grabbed one of its arms and shoved it at the first droid, who kicked it aside and advanced again.

Jaina jumped atop the boulder and slapped away the droid's next strike, then dodged the projectile it hurled up at her. The droid attempted to climb up onto the boulder with her, but she somersaulted off and slashed through the droid's legs with her lightsaber upon landing. The droid slipped off the boulder, metal hands scrabbling at the simulated stone, and landed on its back at her feet. Jaina finished it off with a thrust through its neck, then deactivated her lightsaber.

She turned at the sound of applause echoing off the walls of the training room, and saw her brother Jacen in his earthy brown and forest green robes leaning against the wall near the door.

"Very nice," he said, tossing her a bottle of water.

Jaina raised the bottle in thanks, drank deeply, then tugged a towel off the rack near the door to herself with the Force and wiped away the sweat on her face and neck. "I got caught off guard by a kick during two different fights with the Vong," she said, slinging the towel over her shoulder. "It's not going to happen again."

"So that's why you didn't go to the briefing," Jacen said. "Too bad; you missed out on some interesting stuff."

Jaina gestured to her sweat-dampened brown tank top and shorts. "You can catch me up after I grab a shower. Meet you in say, fifteen minutes?"

Jacen nodded. "Come to my quarters when you're ready, then."

[...]

After she had showered and changed back into her usual tan and brown robes, Jaina went to Jacen's temporary quarters aboard the warship and found both her brothers, cousins, and Tahiri already there, seated in the various chairs and couches in the main room. She sat down on one of the couches next to her brother Anakin, then listened as Jacen gave a summary of what he'd heard at the briefing.

"So what do you all want to do?" he asked when he was done.

"Colonel LaRone says a few of his men have requested that Aunt Mara and I continue to work with the Vader's Fist unit," Jaina said. "It depends on what she wants to do, but I'd be open to it. We'd probably end up working with them a lot anyway."

"Master Kolos says Grand Admiral Thrawn asked her to work with him, too," said Ami. "They served together on the _Executor_ back during the Galactic Civil War, and even though she was a double agent, it seems he wants to work with her again." She smirked. "She said she's not sure whether to consider it a compliment or not."

"I want to go with Master Talmak to the Unknown Regions," Ben said. "I've been studying the old Jedi files on the mission Grandfather had with Master Kenobi to Zonama Sekot, and I want to see it for myself. I agree that it might be linked to the Vong somehow."

"I'll probably end up going back to Alderaan with Mom, Dad and Corran," said Anakin. "Though if it was up to me, I'd like to go with Jenn, also. I want to see Zonama Sekot, and I want to know what's going on with these cloned Vong, too. It doesn't make any sense."

The door buzzed, and Jacen called out, "Enter."

Aunt Mara walked in, looking around at the young Jedi. "I thought I'd find you all here." She turned to Jaina. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Shall we step outside?" Jaina asked, standing.

Mara shook her head slightly. "No, you all can hear this." She paused for a moment, her expression turning even more serious than usual. "I've been talking things over with Luke and your mother, and we're all in agreement; you've handled yourself very well on your recent missions. Your parents have told me about how you took the initiative on the temple mission and got the _Falcon_ away from the Vong fleet without any damage at all. That's very impressive."

Jaina smiled, but made no comment.

"There's not much more I can teach you," Mara went on. "Your saber techniques could still use a little work, but you're on that yourself, and don't need me to remind you. You're an excellent pilot, and already have a command of the Force a lot of Jedi never reach." She paused for a moment. "Your uncle is determined to go with his father and Revan on their search for the Star Forge, and I'm going with them. You're needed more here, to help coordinate the war. That's why we've decided to go ahead and make you a full Jedi Knight."

Jaina was taken aback, and couldn't think of anything to say at first. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.

Mara reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, and smiled proudly. "You've earned this, Jaina," she said. "I have no doubt that someday you will be one of the greatest Knights of our order."

"Thank you," Jaina said, still trying to process this. "I won't let you down, I promise."

"Ordinarily, we'd go back to Alderaan and have a ceremony at the Jedi Temple with the entire Council," Mara continued, "but time is a bit short right now. We'll have to settle for the Masters that are already here."

"Is Jacen being Knighted, too?" Ami asked.

"I don't think I'm ready yet," Jacen said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's not a race."

Jaina smiled to herself. She didn't know if she agreed that he wasn't ready yet, but they'd never been competitive, and she was glad to see he wasn't jealous. She didn't think he would be, but it was still a relief nonetheless.

"We're going to have the ceremony later today," Mara said. "If you don't want to have it somewhere on this warship - which would be perfectly understandable," she added with a slight grimace, "we can hold it on the_ Sabre_ or your family's ship."

"I think I'd like the ceremony to be on the _Falcon_," Jaina said.

"That's what I thought." Mara nodded. "We'll start at 1400 hours this afternoon, then."

"I'll be there," Jaina quipped.

Mara chuckled. "You're a Solo, all right. I'll see you later." With that, she turned and left.

Jaina stumbled as Ami crashed into her with an exuberant hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Congratulations, sis!" said Anakin, smiling broadly.

"I always knew you'd be first," Jacen said, grinning himself.

Jaina grinned back, allowing herself to bask in adulation for a moment. Right now she was happy, but in the back of her mind she knew this was not really a reward, but a large step toward greater responsibility. She had a long, hard fight ahead of her yet.

* * *

><p>"That was fast," Luke Skywalker said, looking up at the mostly-completed frame of the starship in one of <em>Executor's<em> automated factories. The Super Star Destroyer had arrived less than an hour ago, and Luke had accompanied his father here to look at the custom-built ship they would be using to cross over into Galen Marek's universe.

"I designed the basic vessel myself a year ago," Darth Vader said. "It is meant for elite troopers, so they can be autonomous once I send them on their missions. It was a simple matter to incorporate the alterations needed for this specific mission. _Executor_'s automated factories can build a complete vessel in only a few days; this ship will be ready to fly very soon."

"Your scientists have already figured out how to reproduce the effect that brought Marek here?" Luke said, surprised.

"Some of them have been attempting to prove the theory for years," Vader replied. "Faced with actual evidence, they quickly confirmed that Marek is indeed from a parallel reality, and through study of his ship, have determined how he was brought here. In addition, Danni Quee has had several insights that have hastened the process; I am certain she is being aided by the Force."

Vader gestured up at the starship and the army of construction droids crawling over it. "The primary cause seems to be an extremely powerful burst of energy channeled through the hyperdrive under specific conditions, an effect we would be unable to reproduce safely with even _Executor'_s main reactor. The Rakatan Generator will allow us to safely and reliably reproduce the effect without the uncertainty and danger of waiting for the kind of solar storm that sent Marek here." He looked over a Luke. "We will shortly have confirmation on whether this is feasible, and after a round of testing, we will be leaving ourselves. I wish to locate a Star Forge and bring it back here as quickly as possible."

"You've been planning for this since you first heard of the parallel universe theory, haven't you?" Luke asked, looking over at his father.

Vader shrugged fractionally. "It has been one of my contingencies in case I was unable to locate the Star Forge. The possibility that it had been destroyed was always present."

Luke made no reply, silently marveling at the depth of his father's strategies. How much good could Anakin Skywalker have done for the galaxy if he had never fallen to the Dark Side?

"I understand Jaina is being Knighted," Vader said after a few moments of slightly awkward silence.

"That's right," Luke said. "Mara figured that since they were going to be separated for quite a while, and Jaina was nearly ready anyway, it was time. I agreed."

Vader's silver whiskers twitched as his jaw worked, but he did not reply.

Luke looked at him closely. "Do you… want to be there?"

Vader returned his gaze, seeming ever so slightly hesitant. "If it is not an imposition," he replied evenly, though Luke could sense his uncertainty.

"You're family," Luke said simply. "It's up to Jaina, but I think you should be there." He paused, looking up at the half-assembled ship, and listened to the metallic clanks and hissing sparks of the automated factory for a moment. "Why did you give my son your lightsaber?" he asked.

"It was a gift," Vader replied, resting his hands on the railing. "Ben's lightsaber had been destroyed in battle, and he required another."

"You have many lightsabers," Luke countered. "Why did you give him _yours_, the one you constructed as a Jedi?"

Vader was quiet at first, gazing up at the incomplete ship, but finally he turned to Luke. "I… have not been there for my family, for any of you," he said. "It was a… small gesture, but you may consider it a beginning."

"Mother's forgiven you, you know," Luke said quietly. "And so has Leia. It took them a long time, but they know there is good in you, that however evil your methods, your intentions are good."

Vader let out a soft, bitter laugh. "The Corellians say the road to hell is paved with good intentions." He straightened before Luke could reply, said, "I will see you at the ceremony," and left.

Luke remained behind a while, collecting his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Jenn sat in the dark in one of the observation domes of the warship <em>Judgment<em>, looking up at the huge red and yellow gas giant above, its rings sparkling like gold in the light of the system's small yellow star.

She turned as she heard the door hiss open behind her, and saw the recently-arrived Corran Horn standing in the entryway, dressed in robes of varied shades of green. "Can I come in?" he asked.

Jenn nodded. "Corellian, eh?" she asked, gesturing to his distinctive green robes.

"That's right," Corran said with a grin as he sat down next to her. "Did you know any Corellian Jedi back in your own time?"

"I ran into a few," Jenn replied. "They tended to be a bit… nontraditional."

Corran chuckled. "An understatement if I ever heard one." He leaned forward in his chair, resting his forearms on his knees. "I hear you're headed off into the Unknown Regions to find this living planet Vader mentioned, as well as an apparent Vong cloning facility."

"Yep," Jenn confirmed. "I've got a few other things to look for, as well; Revan thinks there might be more Rakata tech hidden somewhere out here, and he wants me to find it before the Vong do." She glanced at him sidelong. "Why, you want to come along?"

Corran shrugged. "I'm considering it. My apprentice Anakin Solo told me he wants to go with you, and so does his cousin Ben." He half-smiled wryly. "Technically, Ben is apprenticed to Kam Solusar, but he and Anakin spend so much time together he might as well be my apprentice, too."

Jenn chuckled lightly. "Double Trouble, Han Solo calls them."

"He's right on there," Corran said with an amused nod.

"I'd be glad to have you three along," Jenn said as she leaned back in her chair. "I _could_ go by myself, but frankly I'd prefer not to. Revan's going off with Vader to find the Star Forge, and the rest of the Jedi are staying here to help fortify the border worlds against the first wave."

"I'll talk it over with my wife and Master Skywalker," Corran said. "I'll let you know after the Knighting ceremony." He glanced down at his wrist chronometer. "Speaking of…"

Jenn stood. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>The <em>Millennium Falcon<em> settled into a high orbit of the nameless gas giant, far above its gleaming golden rings. Han Solo stood from the controls of his starship and went back to where the rest of his passengers waited. He took up position in the corridor outside the main hold next to Chewbacca, just behind his wife. Leia turned slightly to glance at him around the edge of her white hood, and she smiled. Han smiled back.

All of the Jedi currently present in the system stood in a circle around the edge of the main hold, their hoods drawn up over their faces and their lightsabers in their hands but not activated. Darth Vader, whose black cloak did not have a hood, stood out in the circle with his bared face and gleaming blue mechanical eye. Han frowned, not exactly thrilled to have the Dark Lord aboard his ship, but said nothing; Jaina had accepted her grandfather's request to attend her Knighting ceremony, so that was that.

Jaina knelt in the center of the room, her hood drawn back, her hands folded in her lap, and her lightsaber on the deck just in front of her knees. Luke and Mara stood side by side about a meter in front of her. R2-D2 was tucked into a corner, recording the ceremony. He whistled something at Ami, and she shifted a few centimeters to the left to give him a better view.

At a subtle gesture from Luke, Chewbacca reached over and dimmed the lights.

"The Force has brought us here," Luke began, "Masters of the Council, friends and family of Jaina Solo. She has demonstrated her command of the Force and her devotion to it."

Mara ignited her magenta lightsaber and held the tip of the glowing blade just above Jaina's left shoulder. "I, Mara Jade Skywalker, Jedi Master of Jaina Solo, proclaim her apprenticeship to me finished." She looked down into Jaina's eyes. "May the Force be with you."

Luke ignited his own emerald-green lightsaber and held its tip just above Jaina's right shoulder. "I, Luke Skywalker, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, name Jaina Solo a full Jedi Knight, protector and defender of the Republic, guardian of peace and justice in the galaxy." He looked down into her eyes. "May the Force be with you."

At this cue, the rest of the Jedi ignited their lightsabers and held them up at an angle over Jaina, the varicolored light casting weird shadows about the room. Vader hesitated for a moment, then raised the black hilt in his hand and added a deep steel-gray blade to the circle.

"May the Force be with you," those arranged in the circle said in unison.

Luke and Mara raised their blades upright, and Jaina picked up her lightsaber and stood. She silently looked around the circle at those gathered, meeting the eyes of each of them for a brief second as she slowly turned. Jacen and Anakin stood in front of the other exit from the _Falcon_'s main hold, the entrance to the port-side corridor, and as Jaina turned to face them they stepped aside, their gleaming blades forming an arch over the entrance.

Still silent, Jaina slowly walked between her brothers out of the room, passing quickly out of sight down the curved corridor.

Luke lowered his lightsaber and closed it down, signifying that the ceremony was at an end. The others deactivated their own lightsabers and lowered their hoods as Chewie brought the lights back up.

Han slipped an arm around Leia and kissed the top of her head. "She's all grown up now," Leia murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Now if only the other two would follow her example," Han said with a glance over at his sons, whom he knew could hear him.

Jacen merely chuckled, but Anakin leveled a mock-irritated glare at his father, the corners of his mouth showing amusement that belied the expression.

Han heard an exuberant growl behind him and turned to see Chewbacca sweeping Jaina up in a tremendous hug.

"Thanks, Chewie," she half-laughed, half-groaned past the Wookiee's crushing embrace, patting his furry shoulder.

Chewie woofed further congratulations as he set her down, then headed off to the cockpit, growling happily to himself.

Leia stepped forward to kiss Jaina's cheek and then hugged her, smiling broadly. "We're so proud of you," she said.

Han put his arm around his daughter and squeezed her shoulder. "Way to go, kid," he said with a grin.

Jaina smiled back at them. "Thanks." She took a deep breath. "Now I just have to prove I earned it."

She glanced up, and Han looked over to see Vader approaching, his hands hidden by the drape of his cloak.

"Congratulations," Vader said, and Han heard a distinct note of pride in his voice. His right hand emerged from beneath his cloak, holding an intricately tooled dark brown leather belt. "This was mine, when I was a Jedi," he said, holding it out to Jaina. "You may have it if you wish."

Jaina accepted the belt, turning it over in her hands to look at the complex designs carved into the leather and the rich silver fittings. "Thank you," she said.

Vader inclined his head briefly, then gestured toward the cockpit. "If we return to the _Executor_, I have prepared a reception in honor of Jaina's ascendance to Knighthood, which you are all invited to attend."

"Very well," Leia said with a diplomatic smile. "We'll head straight there."

Han went back to the cockpit, Leia a step behind him, and he looked back at her as he lowered himself into the pilot's seat. "He's being awfully polite today," he remarked as the door closed behind her.

"I'm a little surprised myself," Leia admitted. "But ever since that little incident with Jenn and Mara the other day, he seems to be making more of an effort to be… civil."

"I didn't want to say 'nice' either," Han said with a smirk, spinning his chair to the controls.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Jacen stood with his hands clasped behind his back in his grandfather's quarters aboard the <em>Executor<em>, gazing uneasily at the dozens of lightsabers adorning one entire wall of the main room. Traces of emotion from the owners of these weapons seemed to linger still, and the sense in the room was subtly yet almost palpably unpleasant.

Fear, panic, desperation: like emotional bloodstains, these were the remnants that had been left behind; it seemed to him that every one of these weapons must have belonged to a Jedi whom Darth Vader had killed personally.

Exhaling softly in concentration, Jacen held out a hand, slowly running it over the row closest to him. As he closed his eyes, slipping more deeply into the Force, faint, blurry images of the same scene were repeated over and over again in his mind: a tall, dark figure wielding a red lightsaber fought viciously against the weapons' owners, and inevitably they were cut down without mercy.

A faint twinge in the Force gave Jacen pause; he halted over a lightsaber that felt different through his perceptions, and opened his eyes to examine it more closely. Stronger, more distinct emotion was associated with this lightsaber, and by more than one individual. Jacen picked it up to examine it more closely, using only his eyes and sense of touch.

The lightsaber was designed for a wielder who preferred a defensive form, likely the one the old Temple holocrons described as Form III-Soresu. As he shifted the hilt in his fingers, Jacen felt the weight and balance of it, and revised his opinion. This had not been wielded by just any user of Soresu; this had belonged to an absolute master of the classic form.

Igniting the brilliant sapphire blade, Jacen quickly moved through a few of the movements of Soresu, feeling the perfect balance and alignment of the weapon. In his own extensive studies of the art of lightsaber combat, Jacen had learned much of lightsaber construction, and he concluded that it would be difficult to find any way to improve the weapon for either blaster defense or dueling. In fact, he could already see ways to modify his own lightsaber to improve it, just based on this weapon.

Still holding the lightsaber in both hands, Jacen stilled, let the blade deactivate, and allowed his other perceptions to fall away, now relying entirely on the Force. Surprising him, he felt an image through the Force, and he focused on it.

A dark, hellish world appeared in his mind's eye, a planet all smoke and fire. He saw sad blue-gray eyes above an auburn beard, looking sorrowfully down at eyes burning with such strong hate their irises turned a fiery yellow. Sadness and rage warred for dominance in the tableau, shattering into a chaotic jumble of emotion so powerful Jacen felt his breath catch in his throat.

Suddenly, with a sense of shifting, the blue-gray eyes were older, wiser, and even more sorrowful, the beard turned the silvery-white of age. The yellow eyes were now icy blue, but somehow filled with even more rage and hate than before. Blue and red light flashed with a storm of noise, hissing and sparking echoes reverberating around him.

Jacen heard faint, distorted voices:

"_Your powers are weak, old man!_"

"_If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."_

He had a sense of a large gray room with harsh white lighting, perhaps a hangar or a garage. Off in the distance he saw a group of blurry figures, and as he focused on them, their faces sharpened briefly into those of his parents, Aunt Mara and Uncle Luke - all much younger, closer to Jacen's own age.

Upon seeing the fight, Luke tried to run over to assist, but Jacen's father held him back. They argued as Luke struggled to free himself, but Han was stronger and more aware of the reality of the situation, and kept Luke back.

The blue-gray eyes turned to Luke and met his desperate gaze for a moment, strangely peaceful, halfway between resignation and reassurance.

With a savage, echoing shout of rage, scarlet light lashed out in a vicious arc and suddenly the sad wise eyes were gone.

Luke's shocked yell of, "_NO!_" echoed, and the huge black specter of Darth Vader turned and seemed to look right at Jacen. His hair swiftly turned silver and a beard and mechanical blue eye appeared along with lines of age, until Jacen realized with surprise that his grandfather had actually entered the room. The remnants of the vision faded away around them, returning Jacen to the cold, austere chamber aboard the _Executor_ and the wall full of lightsabers.

Vader's natural blue eye and the glowing prosthetic searched out Jacen's own, and the young Jedi knew his grandfather sensed what he had seen.

"I now wish I had not destroyed him," Vader said, his cloak gently fanning out around his legs as he took a few steps closer. "That was the first step that cost me my balance. I was unable to properly center myself for years afterward."

Jacen slowly returned Obi-Wan's lightsaber to its place on the wall, then folded his hands in the sleeves of his outer robe. "If you can truly call it balance," he said. "Do you still persist in trying to walk the line between darkness and light?"

"Only there can true power be found," Vader replied. "What you call the Light Side and Dark Side are merely two halves of a greater whole. The Force simply is; it cannot be described as 'good' or 'evil', broad terms devised by small minds to explain what they do not truly understand."

"I don't agree," Jacen countered with a shake of his head.

"That is to be expected," said Vader. "You were trained by my son, and Luke has always rejected the Dark Side despite the power it holds." He raised his scarred gray brows slightly. "Was there something you wanted, or did you just come here to argue with me?"

"I didn't come to argue," Jacen said calmly. "I came to try to understand you."

Vader frowned. "You want to know why I believe as I do?"

Jacen nodded once. "I have heard stories about you all my life from those who knew you, but I would like to hear you explain it yourself."

Vader seemed somewhat pleased, and his expression softened as he crossed to stand by the wide viewport that took up one entire wall of the room. "I was initially trained in the Light Side by Obi-Wan," he began, "but it never satisfied me. I could never fully achieve the calmness and serenity supposedly granted to Light Side masters. I was angry and frustrated through much of my training."

He turned and looked at the very top and left-most lightsaber, an unusual curved-hilt design Jacen did not recognize. He looked over at his grandfather, and Vader silently gave him leave to examine it with a wave of his hand.

Jacen picked up the weapon and focused on it, immediately seeing another image through the Force. Anakin Skywalker stood in a dark room with two lightsabers in his hands, his own and the lightsaber Jacen now held, the blue and red blades crossed in an X in front of a kneeling older man's neck.

"_Do it, Anakin! Kill him!"_

Jacen focused on the speaker, and suppressed a shudder at the sheer malice in the man's eyes. Outwardly, he seemed to be a kindly white-haired old man, but an aura of inky darkness squirmed around him like malignant, grasping tentacles.

Vader gestured, and the lightsaber flew from Jacen's fingers to hover above his own, slowly turning in midair. He looked at the lightsaber for a moment. "I suppose that was the start of the tradition," Vader said with a flick of his eyes toward the other lightsabers. "Jedi do not take trophies, and yet I kept Dooku's lightsaber after I killed him." He gazed down at the lightsaber again. "My hatred of him was overwhelming, first for cutting off my arm, and then for everything else he did during the Clone Wars. I suppose I… wanted a reminder of my victory after such a long struggle."

With another gesture, Vader sent the lightsaber floating back over to its place on the wall. "Not long after that I… surrendered myself to the Dark Side. Under its influence, I did things I wish I could take back, actions I have spent the last forty years regretting."

He fell silent then, and remained that way long enough that Jacen thought he was not going to continue. Jacen was about to leave his grandfather to this thoughts when Vader turned to face him.

"I still remember that initial rush as I pledged myself to Palpatine's teachings," he said, an odd gleam in his eye. "In that moment, I felt more powerful, more _alive_, than I'd ever felt before. As I took the name Darth Vader, I felt as though Darth Sidious and I were the two most powerful beings in the universe, and that nothing could stand in our way. The feeling was… intoxicating."

"Like a drug," Jacen said, recalling how Kam Solusar described his own usage of the Dark Side during his time as one of Vader's Sith.

The gleam faded from Vader's eye, replaced again by regret. "One way to put it, I suppose," he allowed. "I threw myself into the Dark Side, trying to bring myself as full of it as I could, but after my duel with Obi-Wan on Mustafar, I realized it, too was… unsatisfying." He looked out of the viewport again. "It was as I was trapped there that I realized the key: _both _sides of the Force must be used, both in concert to keep each other and the self in balance."

"The Dark Side is a _poison_," Jacen said vehemently. "Whatever temporary benefits it might grant are not worth the damage it does to you."

"You sound like Luke," Vader observed with disapproval.

"Luke is right," Jacen countered.

"So you think," Vader rejoined. He drew himself up. "Come with me on my search for the Star Forge, and see for yourself instead of merely repeating the words of your teacher."

"I will," Jacen said. "And we will see who is right."

"We shall," Vader replied with an enigmatic smile. He gestured toward the door. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Jacen turned and left, frowning to himself, for his talk with his grandfather had brought him more confusion than clarity.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading, whose suggestions made that last scene much better than my first draft. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	11. Departure

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Eleven<strong>  
>(Departure)<p>

"Well, it's a step up from the brig, at least."

Luke looked across the cabin at Galen Marek, who sat in one of the chairs near the viewport of his temporary quarters aboard the _Executor_. Even though he knew this man was not and never had been Darth Nova, Luke had to admit that it was a little unnerving to see a friendly smile on Galen's face.

Galen gestured at Luke and Mara beside him. "I've been doing some reading," he said. "Now I finally understand why the two of you keep looking at me like that."

"Sorry," Mara said. "But our universe's version of you tried to kill both of us quite a few times, so it takes a bit of getting used to."

Galen nodded grimly. "Darth Nova was a truly evil man," he said. "Frankly, it's disturbing to think that _I_ have the potential to be just like him."

"But you're not," Luke said. "It's interesting to think about all the different ways our lives could have gone."

"You are almost exactly like the Luke I know," Galen said with a smile. "Apart from the mechanical hand, of course," he said with a gesture at Luke's black-gloved right hand. He frowned. "The most surprising change here is Master Skywalker… I mean, Darth Vader. I have a hard time picturing him as a Sith Lord."

"I have a hard time picturing him as anything else," said Mara, idly tapping the fingers of one hand against the armrest of her chair. "He's been like this my entire life."

"Actually, _you_ are the most surprising change," Galen said, looking at her. "My Mara, my wife, is completely different. She's a healer and historian, not a warrior. She's much more… gentle, softer, less intense."

"Well, she wasn't raised by Darth Vader to be an assassin," Mara replied bluntly. "Out of curiosity, how did you meet her, anyway?" she asked.

"We grew up together," Galen replied. "Masters Kenobi and Skywalker found her lost in a spaceport a few years after the Clone Wars, and since they couldn't find her parents or any other relatives, Obi-Wan raised her as his adopted daughter."

"Huh," Mara said, thinking this over. "I only met Obi-Wan once, shortly before Vader killed him."

Galen frowned at that, but made no comment.

"Do you know anything about the Star Forge?" Luke asked him, partially just to change the subject.

"Not really," Galen said. "Mara's researched it a few times, and she thinks it was destroyed. I don't know for certain." He shrugged. "If my universe doesn't have it, there must be plenty of others you can try."

"Yes, my father was saying something about that," Luke said. "His scientists say we probably shouldn't try to explore more than two or three alternate universes, though, because the farther we go, the harder it will be to get back home."

"Didn't one of them mention a 'quantum sensor' or something that'll tell us if we're in the right place?" Mara asked him.

"Something like that," Luke answered. "I haven't really kept up with advanced theoretical physics."

"That's what droids are for," Mara said. "I know I don't particularly want to try doing all those calculations myself." She looked back over at Galen. "If this last round of testing checks out, you should be home by the end of the week."

"I'm glad," said Galen. "If these Yuuzhan Vong are on their way in my universe, I need to tell the Council so they can start preparing for the invasion."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere on the <em>Executor<em>, Jaina met with Colonel LaRone, commander of the elite Vader's Fist unit, in his office. The plain gray and black room was deep within the warship, without windows and lit only by stark white glowpanels.

LaRone, a human man about her father's age, had grey eyes, short brown hair cut in the usual military style, and he wore an immaculate black uniform. He rose from behind his desk as Jaina entered his office and extended his hand, which Jaina shook before sitting in one of the chairs.

"I understand you were made a full Jedi Knight yesterday," LaRone said with a polite smile.

"That's right," she replied with an answering smile.

"That's part of why I asked you here," LaRone went on. "You can choose your own assignment now, right?"

"If my uncle and the Council don't have one for me, yes," Jaina answered.

LaRone rested his hands on the glossy black desktop and interlaced his fingers. "Like I said to you the other day, I've talked it over with my men, and we'd like for you to continue working with us, since Lord Vader will be gone for some time." He leaned back in his chair. "I once worked with Mara Jade on one of her missions as the Emperor's Hand. I would have asked her to work with us, as well, but it seems she's going with Lord Vader."

Jaina nodded once. "That's right."

"I was impressed with how you handled yourself in the skirmish on Belkadan, especially considering that was your first encounter with the Vong," said the colonel. "And I've heard that you're an excellent pilot, as well. We could use someone of your talents on our team."

"I accept," said Jaina. "I liked working with your unit, and I intend to stay on the front lines in this war."

LaRone nodded briskly. "Good. I'll see to it that everything is taken care of." He gestured off vaguely in the direction of the hangar bay. "Vader's Fist is stationed here on the _Executor_, so usually we go where it goes, but we also have two ships and several fighters of our own for long-range missions. Sometimes we're on our own for weeks, even months at a time on whatever missions Lord Vader or Grand Admiral Thrawn have for us. We answer only to the two of them, so we don't have to worry about bureaucracy or fleet politics."

"That's a bit of a relief," Jaina said with a half-smile. "I've never really dealt well with politics."

"You take after your father that way," said LaRone. When Jaina raised her brows in surprise, he continued. "We were in the same class at the academy on Carida. We never really interacted much, so I doubt he'd remember me."

She gave him a slight nod in reply, then said, "So do I berth down here in the barracks?"

"You'll probably be assigned officer's quarters," he answered. He gestured to her loose-fitting robes. "I know Jedi don't usually wear armor, but I suggest you look into having something like Lord Vader's suit made. The Vong have some nasty poisons as well as their other weapons, so you're going to want some good protection if you're going to be fighting them on a regular basis."

"I agree," said Jaina. "Though maybe not _just_ like my grandfather's armor; Jedi aren't really into psychological warfare, either."

LaRone shrugged again. "The Vong are highly superstitious; it works," he said neutrally. "I'll schedule a meeting with the chief armorer, and the two of you can work out a design."

Jaina stood. "Might as well do it now. We never know when we're going to run into the Vong again."

* * *

><p>Jacen sat cross-legged on the dirt-covered floor in one of <em>Executor<em>'s secondary hydroponics bays, meditating. He felt most comfortable around nature, living things pulsing and flowing with the Force, and this was the closest thing to nature on his grandfather's warship.

He looked around at the fruit trees, gently waving grasses, and simulated sky with its artificial sunlight. It was almost like the grove not far from the Jedi Temple on Alderaan where he sometimes went to meditate, pleasant and quiet, with only the sound of the wind passing through the branches and over the grass.

But just beyond it, he could feel the buzz of activity, the myriad thoughts of _Executor_'s crew as they went about their duties, and the energy flowing through the titanic warship's reactors, weapons, and other systems. Slowly, taking a series of deep, calming breaths, Jacen tuned them out, focusing on the Force.

He was about to stretch out with his senses, to leave his body and the ship behind to see where the Force would take his consciousness, when he heard soft footsteps behind him, crunching over the fallen twigs from the fruit trees and the grass.

Jacen pulled back and returned his focus to his surroundings to see who it was. Sensing Qeris, the Imperial Knight, he opened his eyes and half-turned to look back at her.

Somewhat unusually, Qeris was not wearing her armor, dressed instead in a loose-fitting dark red tunic and black trousers. She was also barefoot, and her midnight-black hair was loose around her shoulders, reaching almost to her waist. Her sea-green eyes met his gaze, showing a slightly apologetic surprise at finding him there.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said softly. "I didn't know anyone was in here."

"It's all right," Jacen said. He gestured at the ground next to him. "You can join me if you like."

Qeris hesitated for a moment, her expression shifting back into inscrutability, then smiled slightly and walked over. "I was looking for a quiet place to meditate," she said. "There are too many people near my quarters, and I was having difficulty tuning them out."

"I didn't know Imperial Knights did much meditating," Jacen said as she sat down and mirrored his posture, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees.

"Most of them don't," she admitted. "We're a much more militaristic order than the Jedi, and many of the Knights I know only touch the Force in combat. They see it as another weapon in their arsenal."

"But you don't?" he asked.

"I've studied some of the old Jedi records," Qeris replied. "As you know, our headquarters are what used to be the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and much of the library there is still available. I am seen as somewhat unusual among the Imperial Knights because I seek to understand the Force as more than just a way to enhance strength and reflexes in combat."

"Is that why you asked to be the Empire's liaison to my grandfather?" Jacen asked. "To learn more of the Force from him?"

She inclined her head slightly to the side. "Partially. I will admit I also wanted to spend more time with Jedi. Before this mission, the only Jedi I had ever met was your uncle, when his delegation came to our headquarters when I was a child. He has a reputation as a great warrior in the Empire, but he seemed so calm, at peace, that I found him intriguing and wanted to know more of his philosophies."

"And now besides my uncle and grandfather," Jacen said, "you have two Jedi from four millennia ago who've joined us. Your report to the Emperor is going to be very interesting," he said with a grin.

Qeris' lips quirked slightly in amusement. "That is certain, especially given what Lord Vader is about to attempt. I can hardly believe crossing between parallel realities is even possible, let alone what he wants to do once we get there."

"You're going with him, then?"

"Yes," she replied. "Are you?"

He slowly nodded once. "I feel that I should. I'll admit that I'm curious about my grandfather's mission, but it feels like the Force is guiding me to go with him. It might be that I'm needed to do… something." He shrugged.

Qeris gracefully rose to her feet. "Then I will leave you to your meditations," she said, looking down at him. "I look forward to working with you."

Jacen found himself suddenly unsure of what to say. "Um, thanks," he said, feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason. He caught what might have been a slight hint of amusement in her expression before Qeris left, quietly withdrawing to the other end of the hydroponics bay.

Trying to return his focus to the Force, Jacen shook his head and settled back into his meditative posture.

* * *

><p>In <em>Executor<em>'s hangar bay, Jenn looked over the _Jade Sabre_ with an appraising eye, admiring the starship's sleek lines and impressive systems. The Skywalker family vessel boasted a hyperdrive nearly as fast as that of the _Millennium Falcon_, and was similarly armed with two side-mounted quad-laser turrets, forward and rear-facing concussion missile launchers, and a dorsal ion cannon. In addition, it could hold one fighter in a special berth in its cargo bay. According to Mara Jade Skywalker, the vessel had originally been outfitted by a group of pirates she and Luke had infiltrated and eliminated several years ago, and she had been so impressed with the _Sabre_ that she had decided to keep it for herself.

"You're sure?" Jenn asked the vessel's owner, glancing over at her.

Mara shrugged and spread her hands. "Hey, I won't be using it for a while. You're heading into unexplored territory with who knows what waiting for you, so you might as well take the best ship for the job." She nodded at her son, who stood next to her. "Besides, you'll have the kid along to make sure you don't scratch it."

Ben smirked. "Any worse than I have myself, that is." He gestured up to a jagged gouge near one of the engine cowlings that had been patched and painted over but was still faintly visible. "That, uh, that was me."

"The other half of Double Trouble deserves part of the blame for that," Mara said with a slight frown. "It was Anakin's fault you went through that meteor shower in the first place." She patted her son's shoulder. "Luckily Corran will be doing the flying, so I don't think we'll have a repeat of that incident."

"Well, thank you," Jenn said. "I'll be sure to take good care of it."

"You'd better," Mara replied, and Jenn had no doubt she was serious. Mara turned back to her son. "Where's your partner in crime? I need to go over some things with you two."

Jenn took her leave and wandered over to where Revan and Darth Vader stood watching a team of engineers make a last series of checks and calibrations to the silvery-hulled vessel they would be using on their mission.

"I hadn't planned on naming it," Vader said in reply to something Revan had asked before Jenn walked over to them.

"A ship needs a name," Revan said. "One of my soldiers in the Mandalorian Wars said it was bad luck to fly around in anything without a proper name."

"Luck is a delusion of the superstitious," Vader said dismissively. "There is only the Force."

"Have you always been this grouchy, or did you have to work at it?" Revan said lightly, smirking.

Jenn smiled to herself as she moved to stand beside him; it was good to see a bit of Revan's old mischievous sense of humor.

Vader gave him an utterly unamused stare for a moment, then said, "If you insist upon naming the vessel, I suppose I can indulge you."

"I think you should name it after the _Hawk_," Jenn said, glancing up at her tall friend.

"It's not black," Revan. "We can't call it _Ebon Hawk_."

"The actual _Ebon Hawk_ wasn't black," Jenn reminded him with a half-smile. "It was white and red."

"True," Revan allowed. "_Crimson Hawk_ would have sounded like a pirate ship, though."

"I'm pretty sure it _was_ a pirate ship at least once," Jenn said, enjoying the light-hearted exchange.

Revan shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me." He folded his arms and brought up his left hand to thoughtfully stroke the right side of his mustache with one finger. "What's another word for silver?" he asked, glancing at her sidelong.

"Argent," Jenn answered.

"That's it," Revan said with a snap of his fingers. "_Argent Hawk_. Its name is _Argent Hawk_."

"Congratulations. Shall I send for a bottle of shimmerwine?" Vader said with dry impatience.

Revan's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Was that a joke?" he said to Jenn in a loud whisper.

"I think it was," she stage-whispered back, feigning shock.

She thought perhaps one corner of Vader's mouth quirked very slightly beneath his silvery beard, but wasn't completely sure.

One of the engineers approached, a datapad in one hand while the fingers of the other plucked nervously at the side of his white lab coat. "The modifications are complete, Lord Vader," he said. He gestured to R2-D2, who rolled up to them, whistling a greeting. "As you requested, I have loaded into this droid the necessary calibrations and calculations you will need to use with the Generator to repeat the event." The engineer fidgeted. "I must warn you though, despite our apparently successful tests, this is still an unproven and highly unpredictable technology. I would be much more comfortable if you would let me do more extensive testing and study-"

Vader cut him off with a wave of his gloved hand. "I only require the device to work two or three times. Once I have located a Star Forge and brought it back here, I will have no further use for it."

"This is a monumental discovery!" the engineer protested. "It should be studied by scientists from leading universities and-"

"I am not interested in your research papers," Vader interrupted irritably. "When my mission is complete, the device and all the data on it will be destroyed to prevent its abuse."

The engineer gaped at the Sith Master in shock, but knew better than to press the matter further. "The vessel will be ready to fly by the end of the day," he said somewhat sulkily. "Miss Quee and her team have almost finished the calibrations to the Generator, so you will be able to leave on schedule tomorrow morning."

"Excellent," said Vader. He narrowed his eyes at the engineer and leaned slightly forward. "I want every bit of data on this project delivered to Thrawn once we leave." He raised a finger in warning. "If any of your team keeps copies for themselves, I will know it," he finished, leaving unspoken the consequences for disobedience.

The engineer swallowed nervously and nodded once, then hurried off.

Vader turned to Revan. "Are your preparations complete?"

"I'm ready to leave whenever you are," the other man replied.

"Good," said the Dark Lord. "Report back here at 0800 tomorrow." With that he strode off, headed purposefully towards the turbolift a dozen meters away.

Jenn touched Revan's arm. "Be careful," she said quietly, nodding toward the departing Vader.

"Don't worry," Revan replied. "If we do find a Star Forge, I'll let him use it but I definitely won't let him control it. He's too close to the Dark Side already; control of the Star Forge would push him over the edge, I'm sure."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Jacen walked from his quarters down to the hangar, a small duffel slung over his shoulder. On his way he encountered Qeris, who was once again in full armor, her long hair braided back out of her face. The drape of her dark red cloak hid her hands, but it seemed she carried little, also. She gave a polite, silent nod in greeting, then fell into step beside him, since they had the same destination.<p>

His family and the other Jedi were waiting in the hangar in front of the _Argent Hawk_. Han clapped his shoulder as Jacen stopped next to him.

"Good luck, kid," he said, grinning. "Don't have too much fun."

Jacen chuckled lightly at that.

His mother embraced him, her expression one of pride with a hint of worry. "Be safe," she said.

"I will," he replied with a bracing smile.

Anakin adopted a mock-sage expression. "Use your time wisely," he said with feigned solemnity. He grinned. "Think of some good jokes. Actual funny ones."

"Where does a full-grown rancor sit?" Jacen said with a grin of his own.

Ben, standing nearby, replied in perfect deadpan, "Anywhere he wishes."

Jacen placed a hand on Ben's shoulder in approval. "Very good, my young apprentice," he said with another grin.

Jaina sighed theatrically. "Great. That's just what we need," she said with a smile. She hugged him, a serious expression on her face when she pulled back. "You be careful," she said. "I've got a-"

Jacen held up a hand. "Don't say it. I've felt it, too." He shrugged. "But, I sense that this is where I need to be, so I'm going."

His twin nodded in reluctant acceptance. "All right then. May the Force be with you."

He smiled. "And with you."

With a final wave to his family and the other Jedi, Jacen strode up the ramp of the _Argent Hawk_ and looked around the interior of the starship. The vessel was slightly smaller than the _Millennium Falcon_, with the cockpit at the very front of the vessel, the boarding hatch and airlock behind it, to the side of the main corridor which ran the length of the ship. In the center of the vessel was the main hold, which held assorted chairs and acceleration couches along with a control console and holoprojector. The dormitories ran the length of the main hold on either side of it, and at the rear of the vessel were the engine room and cargo holds.

Jacen wandered into the starboard dormitory and saw that instead of individual cabins, there were instead six enclosed bunks and a communal refresher station, which included a sonic shower. He slid back the curtain of one of the bunks and tossed his duffel inside, then headed up to the cockpit.

There he found his grandfather and uncle already at the controls, moving through the pre-flight check. Mara and Galen Marek were already seated in the two passenger chairs, so Jacen went back to the main hold to buckle in for takeoff.

He found Revan and the assassin droid HK-47 standing near the hatch to the airlock, talking.

"Report: Master, Grand Admiral Thrawn agrees with our proposal to build a group of assassin droids similar to myself to aid the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong meatbags. He has agreed to reassign some of _Executor_'s automated factories to the construction of the first group, which I will design and program myself." HK paused for a moment, and made a disdainful noise. "Determined Statement: They will be highly superior to those… duplicates I encountered during my travels with Mistress Jenn."

Revan nodded. "You were always meant to be the first of many, HK. That's why I built that factory on Telos. It's not my fault G0-T0 found it and took it over."

The assassin droid would likely have shrugged if he was able. "Reassurance: Master, I know you were in no way responsible for the abominations I took great pleasure in disassembling in a number of highly creative and painful ways. I was able to enact my revenge on the fat one for inflicting them upon the galaxy and myself, so all is settled in that matter."

"How about the upgrades I asked Piett to prepare?" Revan asked.

HK-47's yellow photoreceptors flashed brighter. "Pleased Statement: I now have a greater degree of efficiency in my systems than ever before, Master. If I may permit myself the vanity, I will say I am now as close to the perfect killing machine as meatbags are currently capable of producing. Slightly Reproving Statement: They almost make it worth being left behind _again_."

Revan shrugged. "I didn't think I'd need you, and besides, almost everyone on that mission was a Jedi. I needed you to stay on the _Executor_ and start coming up with designs for the YVHK droids."

"Assurance: I shall instill in the YVHK droids the proper amount of ferocity and finesse necessary to fight the Vong, Master. They will be the ultimate meatbag destroyers."

Revan leveled a finger at the droid. "You just make sure they stick to destroying the _right_ meatbags. I know how you tend to get carried away sometimes."

"Grudging Reply: If you insist, Master."

"I insist," Revan said with a half-smile. "Now go on; we're taking off in a few minutes."

HK-47 paused in the airlock next to the boarding ramp. "Departing Pleasantry: May your mission be successful, Master, so that we may soon return to causing satisfying amounts of carnage and destruction among your enemies."

Revan just shook his head amusedly and watched the tall rust-red droid depart. He waited for R2-D2 to trundle up the ramp and past him into the corridor, then hit the ramp control.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Jacen said, "but that is one disturbing droid. I hope you didn't program him that way."

As they walked back down the corridor to the main hold, Revan shrugged again. "I built him while I was a Sith Lord, so it's to be expected that he shared some of my views at the time. When I got him back later, I couldn't quite bring myself to change his programming." He chuckled. "Jenn says she tried to install a pacifist upgrade in him once because she was tired of him begging her to let him kill things, but it ended up making him even _more_ disturbing. You'd have to ask her for the full story on that one."

Jacen chuckled lightly as he sat down in one of the chairs and buckled himself in. As the ship lifted free of the hangar deck and soared out into open space, he again felt the distant sense that something very important was about to happen. He just hoped he was ready.

* * *

><p>Two other starships followed the <em>Argent Hawk<em> out of _Executor_'s hangar, headed off on their own missions. From the cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_, Leia watched the sleek shape of the _Jade Sabre_ rocket off for the fringes of the system, carrying her son and nephew. Jaina was staying behind on the _Executor_, as were Masters Kolos, Solusar, and their apprentices for a short time.

For the _Falcon_'s return trip to Alderaan, its only occupants were herself, Han, and Chewbacca. The Solo family vessel seemed strangely empty now. Leia was uncertain when she would see any of her three children again, and although all of them were capable of taking care of themselves, she knew her worry would be ever-present until they were reunited.

But she had other concerns now: as one of the senior members of the Jedi Council, Leia would be at the forefront of the New Republic's defense, as well as her investigation of this mysterious fire cult. Leia shared her son's vague feeling that this was somehow more significant than it seemed at present, and this added greatly to her disquiet.

The _Falcon_ had been several hours in hyperspace when her husband walked into the main hold and looked over to the acceleration couch where she sat. "You seem to be having the proverbial bad feeling," Han observed, concerned.

Before Leia could reply, she was seized with a sickening feeling of agony and alarm: a disturbance in the Force so great it seemed to constrict her chest until she could hardly breathe. At once near and yet impossibly distant, thousands of helpless voices were screaming in terror, crying out for help that could not possibly come in time.

"Hey, hey, what is it?" Han said in alarm, rushing over to kneel next to her seat.

"Something's… Something's happening," Leia gasped out, feeling hot tears run down her cheeks. "People… are in great pain… dying."

Han gripped her hand tightly. "We're heading to Alderaan as fast as we can." He rose, starting to head for the cockpit. "I'll tell Chewie to see if he can coax any more out of the hyperdrive."

Leia maintained her grip on his hand, pulling him back. "Wait," she said. "Stay here. Please?"

Han sank onto the couch beside Leia and put his arm around her. "You got it," he said, his voice filled with worry.

* * *

><p>The <em>Jade Sabre<em> hurtled through hyperspace, heading for the first planet in the Unknown Regions where Jenn had stopped before starting her search for Revan. The information broker she had consulted at Terminus on that long-ago journey had called the planet Yotuunhym; Jenn was sure it had a different name by now but didn't know it.

According to T3-M4, Revan had gone first to Yotuunhym to investigate some Rakatan ruins that had also been occupied at one point by the Sith. Sith forces were already at the planet when they'd arrived, and had shot down the _Ebon Hawk_, but Revan had killed the troops sent to investigate the crash site and stolen one of the landing craft. He'd led the Sith warship away from Yotuunhym, and neither he nor it had returned in the time it had taken T3 and HK-47 to repair the starship and leave the small world.

All those millennia ago - though to Jenn herself it seemed like only months - she had only stopped at the world briefly to use it as a starting point for her search. She hadn't gone down to the surface at the time, but T3's descriptions of Rakata temples with walls inscribed with Sith glyphs intrigued her, and she'd decided to make Yotuunhym the first stop on her expedition into the Unknown Regions.

On her way out of the cockpit, Jenn tossed her outer robe over a chair in the lounge and headed back to the cargo hold/fighter bay, where she found Corran Horn working on his green and gray X-wing and arguing with his astromech droid, an R2 unit of the same colors he called Whistler.

"You don't have hands," Corran was saying to the droid, his expression one of fond annoyance. "You couldn't exactly flip a coin, now could you?"

Corran smirked as Whistler hooted something indignant. "Well, Artoo's with his master now, so you get to ride in the droid socket instead of the cargo compartment."

Whistler beeped grumpily.

Corran spread his hands. "Artoo got there first. That's all there was to it. I don't know what you're complaining about, anyway; you were shut down for the whole trip." He laughed out loud at the droid's next twittered statement. "'The indignity of it'? If you say so."

Whistler blatted something dismissive and trundled off, bleeping grouchily to himself.

Jenn chuckled. "That hasn't changed, I see." When Corran raised his brows inquiringly, she clarified. "Astro droids still get like that if they go too long without a memory wipe."

Corran shrugged and grinned. "Makes them more interesting, I think."

"I agree," Jenn said with a slightly sad smile. "So what are-"

She was interrupted by a great roaring maelstrom of fire that swept through her entire body, accompanied by the sound of thousands of voices screaming in horror and despair. Echoes of Malachor V ringing through her head, Jenn leaned against a cargo crate, fighting to remain on her feet.

When the ghastly disturbance finally faded away, pounding feet on the deck announced the arrival of Ben and Anakin, who sprinted into the cargo hold, looking wild-eyed at the two Jedi Masters.

"What was that?" Ben gasped out, still breathing hard.

Corran looked over at him. "I'm not sure. When we drop out to calculate our next jump, we'll contact the New Republic to find out." He shook his head slightly, as if shaking away the last echoes of those horrible screams. "It was bad, whatever it was," he said grimly.

"So are we going back?" Anakin asked.

"No," Jenn replied. "The other Jedi will be looking into this. We have our own mission, one that I fear just became much more urgent."

* * *

><p>In the cockpit of the <em>Argent Hawk<em>, which was parked inside a large hangar-like room on one of the lower levels of the Rakatan temple, Luke looked over at his father. "Ready?"

Vader nodded once. "Ready."

Luke reached up to the bank of controls which governed the interface with the ancient Generator, and punched in the sequence. When he was done, Vader slowly slid the hyperdrive lever forward, keeping a careful eye on his instrument panel.

Blinding bolts of coruscating energy twitched over their ship, forming a rough elongated sphere around the vessel. Drawing power from the incredibly powerful Generator, their specially modified hyperdrive whined and strained to send them not through space, but through the fabric of the universe into another reality.

Taken as a whole, the process was rather anticlimactic; energy thrashed around the ship for a few seconds, there was a sense of _shifting_, and suddenly they were there in the same room, only darker. At first, the only way Luke knew anything had happened was that the covering of ice they'd blasted away from the hangar's gaping mouth a few hours before had suddenly reappeared.

"Did it work?" Galen asked from his seat behind them.

Vader glanced at one of his monitors. "Indeed it did," he said with satisfaction. "We have transitioned to your reality."

Galen grinned. "Good to be home, I guess."

"Are we going to look around this temple, or are we just going to blast out and head for Coruscant?" Revan asked.

Mara looked over at him. "Why, you wondering if this universe's version of you and Jenn are stuck here, too?"

"It had crossed my mind," Revan replied. "We should let them out, if they are."

"It will take some time for me to reconfigure the hyperdrive for normal travel," Vader said, rising from his seat. "Feel free to look around if you wish." He looked over at Luke. "Tell Jacen and the Imperial Knight to begin removing the ice from the hangar mouth; the glacier is almost certainly still present in this reality, and I suspect we cannot simply blast our way out."

Luke gestured to the hatch. "Let's get to work."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. The next chapter will be up soon.<p> 


	12. Ashes

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twelve<strong>  
>(Ashes)<p>

In cosmic terms, four thousand years was the merest blink of an eye. The passage of years had not affected the Yotuunhym system at all, leaving it identical to Jenn's last visit there as far as she could tell. The system consisted of one mid-size yellow star, a rocky inner planet, one outer gas giant with three unremarkable frozen-methane-covered moons, and one planet in the temperate zone, Yotuunhym itself. Yotuunhym had one spherical white moon with no atmosphere of its own and a smaller irregular moon, a large asteroid the planet's gravity had captured sometime in the distant past.

"Any luck?" Jenn asked Corran as she entered the cockpit of the _Jade Sabre_.

The other Jedi Master looked up from the pilot's console and shook his head. "Still nothing."

From the copilot's seat, Ben said, "I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that we can't reach the HoloNet from here, but it is frustrating."

"I want to know what happened, too," Jenn said, frowning slightly. "But like I said, the other Jedi are dealing with it. The most helpful thing we can do right now is continue with our own mission." She looked over at Anakin, who sat at the sensors/communications board behind Corran. "What's on sensors?"

"A whole lot of nothing," Anakin replied. "No ships that I can see, no major power sources, or any other signs of civilization - Wait a minute," he interrupted himself. "There's a satellite in orbit above the planet. It just pinged us with some kind of sensor."

"Armed?" Corran asked warily.

Anakin shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. More like a glorified signpost." He punched a quick sequence of keys. "Yeah, that's what I thought. It's a Chiss marker, saying this system is in their space. It's also telling us to turn back from the planet for our own good."

"Oh, really?" Ben said dryly. "Does it also say 'here there be monsters'?"

"There be monsters, all right," Jenn said with a wry smile. "I came to this system back in my own time, and the information broker who told me about it said there were some kind of ferocious creatures here guarding the temples. I don't know if they're still around, though."

Anakin shrugged. "This satellite says 'the wildlife is extremely hostile,' and that landing here is inadvisable. It's a couple hundred years old, though, so I don't know if these creatures are still around, either."

Jenn frowned, a vague feeling in the Force tickling at the back of her mind. "No, we need to land here," she said distractedly, trying to focus on the feeling. "I sense… something."

"You sensing any coordinates, or do we just fly around for a while?" Corran asked half-jokingly.

"Just fly around for a while and I'll let you know," Jenn replied with equal humor. Her smile slowly faded as the feeling remained frustratingly indistinct, like a slight twitch of movement at the corner of her eye.

She sat down and buckled in for the descent through the atmosphere, unable to shake an increasing sense of unease.

* * *

><p>"Sernpidal?" Han Solo said. "Never heard of it."<p>

"_It is… _was_ a planet in the Outer Rim, near Wild Space," _replied Hiram Drayson, director of New Republic Intelligence. "_It's been totally incinerated, with no survivors."_

Leia leaned forward, closer to the small holo-emitter on the _Falcon_'s control console. "How?"

"_We don't know,_" Drayson replied. "_There was one brief distress signal logged by a Telosian freighter, but it cut off before they got any real information. I wouldn't even know about it yet if not for all the Jedi who have been calling in to ask what happened. The ship we sent to investigate found the entire planet's surface burned to ash, like something set the atmosphere on fire._ _There were twenty million colonists there,_" Drayson finished grimly.

"We're on our way," Leia said, her mouth set in a determined line.

"_Master Organa Solo,_" Drayson began, but Leia cut him off.

"I need to see it for myself," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "We're in the sector anyway."

"_Very well_," Drayson acquiesced. "_I will await your report then. Drayson out."_

"Punch it in, Chewie," Han said to his copilot, then he turned to Leia. "Incinerate a whole planet? What could do that?"

"The Force," she replied quietly, giving voice to the horrible realization which settled heavily into the pit of her stomach. "Someone used the Force to do this."

"Who?" Han said, aghast.

"That's what I intend to find out."

* * *

><p>"Odd."<p>

Revan's laconic statement echoed Mara's own thoughts on the empty room within the Rakata temple. In their home universe, this was the room where the ancient Jedi Master and his companions had spent four millennia trapped in suspended animation; here the room was completely empty, even though the temple obviously hadn't been visited by anyone in a very long time.

"Could someone else have come along and let them out?" Galen Marek asked curiously.

"It would have to have been hundreds if not thousands of years ago," Revan replied, absently stroking the sides of his goatee as he thought. "The glacier in this universe has been here at least as long as the one in ours." He gestured up at the Rakata statue holding a glowing sphere on the other end of the room. "And that thing is still intact, too. It's possible that in this universe, Jenn and I never came here at all."

Mara shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

Revan shrugged himself. "I suppose not. Let's go help the others."

When they returned to the hangar, they found that Luke, Jacen, and Qeris had already excavated a long tunnel into the glacier with their lightsabers.

"Have you found the outer edge yet?" Luke called into the tunnel as the three of them approached.

A sudden blast of frigid wind and a startled shout from Jacen was the reply.

Jacen darted back into view, shivering as he closed down his emerald lightsaber. "Found it," he said. "Sooner than I expected, actually." He looked over at Qeris as she handed him a breath mask, then a heavy coat and a pair of thick gloves. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the Imperial Knight replied as she adjusted something on the belt of her crimson-and-black armor, then raised the hood of her dark red cloak. She secured her own breath mask a moment later.

Galen passed out more masks, gloves and coats from the open crate nearby, and not a moment too soon, for the temperature in the hangar dropped rapidly now that it was open to the frigid cold of the nameless moon.

"We'll work together," Revan said, his voice muffled by his breath mask. "Three of us will use our lightsabers to widen the tunnel enough for the ship, and the other three will push the ice out of the way."

The work went quickly; in only fifteen minutes or so, they had a tunnel out of the hangar through the glacier, carefully reinforced every few meters. Even as they finished, Vader emerged from the _Argent Hawk_ along with R2-D2 to tell them their work on the hyperdrive was complete.

Minutes later, they were soaring through space, plotting their route back to civilized territory and then to Coruscant.

Once they were underway, the group gathered in the main hold, idle during the hyperspace jump.

"I am curious," Qeris asked Revan, who lounged in one of the chairs, "why is one of your lightsabers red? I was under the impression that was traditionally the color of Sith blades."

"It is," Revan replied, pulling the black and gold hilt from his belt. "This is a Sith lightsaber I obtained on Korriban when I was looking for the Star Map there."

"Why would you keep such a thing?" Qeris asked curiously.

"I was once a Sith Lord," Revan replied, "though I have turned from that path. I keep it to remind me of who I once was, so that I do not become that man again." He shrugged. "Also, I've always used two lightsabers, and my off-hand weapon was destroyed in battle with a pair of terentateks in Naga Sadow's tomb. I found this lightsaber in the tomb, and have used it since then."

"Did you say a _pair_ of terentateks?" Mara asked, her brows raised slightly. "Otherwise known as 'Jedi Killers'?"

Revan nodded once.

"And you fought them by yourself?"

Another single nod.

"Impressive," said Vader. "I have researched those beasts, though I have never encountered one myself."

"Hope you don't," Revan replied. "It was a hard fight facing one on Kashyyyk with my companions; I nearly died when I had to fight two by myself. Hopefully we won't run into anything like that on this trip."

"If we do, then I guess it's lucky you're with us," Mara said, looking at him appraisingly.

Revan shrugged modestly, but she did notice a slight smile beneath his dark whiskers.

* * *

><p>Jenn listened to the current of the Force as the <em>Jade Sabre<em> hurtled over the snow-capped mountains and dense evergreen forests of Yotuunhym's main continent. The vague feeling of unease grew stronger with every kilometer, along with a sense of something familiar nearby. However, it was still indistinct enough to remain frustrating.

"Anything yet?" Corran asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"Just keep going that way," Jenn said, gesturing to the northeast.

"Aye, captain," Corran said amusedly. "Maintain heading 'that way'."

Jenn leaned her elbow on a clear space on the console and rested her head on her fist. "Believe me, this is more annoying to me than it could possibly be to you." She made a frustrated gesture with her other hand. "It's like I can just barely detect it, but not enough to recognize it, whatever _it_ is."

Corran nodded in general agreement. "Where's Double Trouble?" he asked, making a slight adjustment to the controls.

Jenn gestured behind her. "Off in the cargo hold, sparring."

Corran chuckled lightly. "As usual. I don't think those two are going to be happy until one of them loses an arm."

Jenn was about to reply when the sense in the Force spiked. "That way!" she exclaimed, gesturing at the spires of a temple which had just become visible on the horizon. "There, that temple there."

"You're sure?" Corran asked.

"Positive. It's in that temple, whatever it is."

Corran adjusted the _Jade Sabre_'s course, and only a few moments later they touched down in a wide grassy field beside the immense stone temple. A dense ring of evergreen trees surrounded the clearing and temple, their upper boughs lightly dusted with snow.

Outside, it was brisk but not quite uncomfortably cold. Jenn pulled up her hood against the wind and tugged at her light gloves, adjusting them beneath her cuffs. Beside her, the other three Jedi shrugged into their outer robes as they followed her down the ramp. Whistler tweeted at his master as the ramp closed, and Corran waved absently back at him in acknowledgment.

Guided by what she had sensed, Jenn approached the huge stone door, which stood partially ajar. She gave it a slight tug with the Force, and it rumbled the rest of the way open to admit them.

Inside, they found a huge entrance hall with slightly curved walls and a soaring vaulted ceiling, in which a number of skylights let in angled golden sunbeams which provided the only illumination. There were a number of paired statues along the walls, the familiar Rakata shapes bent as if supporting the ceiling, and at the far end was a curious structure of carved stone.

Jenn guessed it to be a sarcophagus, though oddly, it seemed to have once been a throne. She walked over to examine it, and her brows raised in surprise as she realized the dense brown stone had been carved and shaped with a lightsaber.

"Who's Mira?" Anakin asked curiously from the other side of the sarcophagus.

Jenn looked up sharply. "What?"

Anakin gestured to the side of the carved stone structure before him. "Somebody carved 'Mira' into this side, along with some numbers."

Jenn moved to look for herself and a gasp caught in her throat as she recognized the name of her friend and the dates of the old calendar system. A sudden compulsion drew her to kneel and press at a section of the carved border that ran around the base of the sarcophagus. With a slight click, one of the panels popped loose, and she pulled it open.

What she saw there caused Jenn to slump back on her heels and sigh.

"A lightsaber and a holocron," Anakin said to Ben, who approached curiously.

"Somebody you know?" Corran asked, moving to look down for himself.

Jenn reached into the compartment and withdrew the lightsaber, sensing a faint echo of her friend on the worn hilt. "Yes," she said, subdued. "This belonged to one of my students. I… helped her build it."

Still holding the lightsaber in one hand, Jenn reached out to touch the sarcophagus which held Mira's remains with the other. Images, flashes of time and memory, whirled about her through the Force.

Mira, outside this very temple, leaped and dodged, wielding her luminous viridian lightsaber against a horde of muscular reptilian quadrupeds. Behind her, a group of blue-skinned Chiss crowded into a shuttle, several of them firing at the creatures.

Another wave of the creatures sprinted out of the trees, headed for the shuttle. Mira looked at the creatures, then at the shuttle, and shouted in Mandalorian to the Chiss, "_Go! Take off now!"_

"_Come on, you can make it!"_ one of the Chiss shouted back in the same language.

"_I'll be fine_," Mira lied, her features set in determination. "_My ship is on its way back already. Now don't argue! Close the hatch and go!"_

Mira hurled herself at the creatures, and used her lightsaber, the Force, and her wrist-mounted rocket launcher to keep the snarling reptilians away from the shuttle until finally it took off and soared into the sky. She fought valiantly on, until at last a razor-sharp tail darted through her defenses and stabbed through her chest.

Kreia's voice echoed within Jenn's mind. "_Her death will occur in many years' time on a forgotten planet, saving the lives of others. But it will be her choice, and she will have no regrets."_

Sorrow wrenched through her, and she sobbed into her hand, feeling hot tears stream down her cheeks. Of course she had known that Mira was dead, and had been for millennia, but to be here at the grave, to see it happen within her mind, was simply too much for her.

"I'm sorry," she said between sobs, reaching out to touch the sarcophagus again. "I'm sorry I never came back, that you came here looking for me and…"

Dimly, she sensed Corran and the boys withdrawing to give her some privacy.

Jenn leaned forward to rest her forehead on the cool stone of the grave, and stayed that way for a long time.

* * *

><p>Coruscant was, as it had ever been, the bright center of the galaxy, alive with a trillion lights. Luke watched the lights of the galactic capital as the <em>Argent Hawk<em> glided through them, headed for the Jedi Temple.

The hyperspace journey had passed swiftly, and now they were here at a place that was at once familiar and different. Absent were the ever-present white Star Destroyers which patrolled the skies above Coruscant back in their home universe; the only large ships here were cargo barges and merchant vessels.

Luke could sense Galen's excitement behind him; the man was eager to return to his home with the story of his unbelievable adventure, and to introduce his extraordinary guests to the Jedi Council.

"So if the Empire never existed here, does that mean the Republic is still around?" Jacen asked.

"Yes," Galen answered. "After Palpatine's death, the Jedi Council took control of the Senate and has taken turns serving as Chancellor since then. They've had to, to keep corruption in check."

Vader scoffed, but said nothing.

The ship set down on a circular landing pad extending from the upper levels of the temple beneath the spires, which retracted into the hangar bay as they shut down the engines.

Waiting for them at the base of the ramp was a familiar face Luke hadn't seen in decades. "Ben?" he said in surprise.

Obi-Wan Kenobi returned his gaze with a polite, slightly puzzled expression. His hair and beard were entirely white, and he seemed a bit more lined, a bit more aged, but otherwise he looked the same as the last time Luke had seen him.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan said as Luke and his companions descended the ramp. "You must be the guests Galen has brought back." He looked at Luke with a slightly amused smile. "Though I see you already know me."

"I'm sorry," Luke said as he walked over to the Jedi Master. "It's just that… where I come from, you've been gone a very long time. You… the you I knew, that is, were my first teacher."

Obi-Wan smiled kindly. "Yes, this is all a bit confusing, isn't it? I have seen stranger things, though it's a bit difficult to remember when at the moment."

"What about that mission to Felucia a few years ago?" an amused voice asked from somewhere off to the left.

Luke turned to see… himself.

The other Luke Skywalker was dressed much the same, in tan and brown robes, but his hair was shorter, combed in a different style, and surprisingly, he had a full beard, something Luke had never worn in his life.

"Don't get any ideas," Mara murmured at his side. "You just keep right on shaving, farm-boy."

Luke glanced over at her and pretended to ponder this, stroking his chin with his fingers a couple of times. "I don't know," he murmured back teasingly. "I think I could pull it off."

"_He_ can," Mara replied with a slight smirk, gesturing to the other Luke, who stood talking with Jacen. "_You_ can't."

Luke smiled amusedly. "Yes, dear."

Through the Force, he sensed his father tense, and a moment later, saw why: Anakin Skywalker emerged from a turbolift at the other end of the hangar.

This Anakin was equally as tall and broad-shouldered as Vader, but there the similarities ended. He was clean-shaven, and though his hair was short, it was still mostly its original dark blond, with only traces of gray. He wore plain, unassuming robes of medium and dark brown, a polished-chrome lightsaber at his belt, and his blue eyes were surprisingly gentle. This Anakin had a commanding bearing, but not intimidating like his counterpart. Further, in the Force he still had the sense of raw power Vader did, but more calm, under control.

Vader scowled at Anakin as he approached, which drew a curious, slightly confused expression from the other.

"Interesting," he said. Even his voice was different; much calmer, less… harsh.

"We will not be staying long," Vader said brusquely. "We will need to access your archives, and then we will be on our way."

"I was about to invite you to join us for our evening meal," Obi-Wan said with a disapproving look at Vader. "But if you are short on time…"

"Do what you wish," Vader said over his shoulder to Luke and the others. "I will be in the archives."

With that, he strode off across the hangar for the turbolift in which his counterpart had arrived.

"I sense the Dark Side in him," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. "I didn't expect him to be so…" He trailed off with a slight frown.

"Clearly his choices were different than yours, my friend," Obi-Wan said, glancing after Vader. He turned back to Luke with a questioning expression. "Will the rest of you be joining us?"

"Yes," Luke said. "I apologize for my father. He…"

Anakin held up a hand with a casual, friendly smile. "We'll leave him be. I can't say I'm not curious about him, but he doesn't seem to be in the mood for company right now."

Luke's only reply was a polite smile, but as they followed the Jedi Masters to one of the other turbolifts, he marveled at how different this version of Anakin Skywalker was from the one he knew. Obviously, they had both been the same person at one point, but the differences their choices had made in them over the last forty-some years were remarkable.

He was more curious what his father thought of this place, a universe that seemed to be more at peace and prosperous because of a different choice than the one he had made. Though he wanted to go after Vader and talk to him, Luke knew that would not be wise at the moment.

In the meantime, he would try to understand this strange course of events.

* * *

><p>Jenn sensed someone behind her. She turned, expecting Corran or one of the boys, and was surprised to see instead a slight figure in an ash-gray robe, its face shadowed by its hood.<p>

"Jennyrija Talmak, you have survived unimaginable pain," the figure rasped in a rough, dry voice that could have been either male or female. "Your spirit, your will is strong. You would survive the Fire."

"Who are you?" Jenn asked warily as she rose to her feet, fingers tensing unconsciously around Mira's lightsaber. "How do you know me?" She sensed the Force in the figure, but odd… distorted somehow.

"I am merely an ember of the Burned Lord," the shrouded figure rasped. "The Fire is coming, a purifying inferno to cleanse this overgrown galaxy that it may grow fresh and new."

"What are you talking about?" Jenn said sharply, taking a step toward the figure. "Are you responsible for the disturbance we sensed?"

But even as she approached, the figure vanished like smoke in a strong wind, leaving nothing behind. Jenn probed the section of the floor where it had been standing with the toe of her boot, but found no obvious trapdoor or other means of exit. Frowning, she reached out to the Force, but could feel nothing nearby, no presence aside from Corran and the boys.

She clipped Mira's lightsaber to her belt and pulled out her comlink. "_Jade Sabre_, this is Jenn," she said into it. "Whistler, do a sensor sweep. Is there anyone else in the area?"

After a few moments, the droid bleeped back a negative; she and the other three Jedi were the only humanoid life-forms the ship's sensors registered, and no others had been detected since their landing.

"Thanks," Jenn said absently, puzzling over the last few minutes. She punched another sequence of keys on the small device. "Corran, this is Jenn. Where are you?"

"_Deeper in the temple,_" the Corellian replied. "_The boys and I went ahead to check things out. We've found some carvings with what look like Sith glyphs, plus an old computer that Ben and Anakin are trying to bring back online._" He paused, and she could sense his concern. "_Why, what's wrong?"_

"Have you seen anyone or sensed anything odd in the Force in the last few minutes?"

"_No. Why?"_

Jenn shook her head. "I'll tell you about it later. What's this about a computer?"

"_There's an ancient terminal here that looks like it's in fairly good shape. If we can just figure out how to turn it on, we may be able to get some information about this place."_

"I'll be right there," Jenn said, heading for the door at the far end of the entryway.

As she passed Mira's sarcophagus, she pulled the holocron to herself with a tug of the Force. Surprising her, it activated as soon as it landed in her palm, light flaring up to resolve into a small hologram of Mira. She appeared as she had in Jenn's vision, with her hair much longer and dressed in green robes.

"Hello, Jenn," said the hologram, smiling. "I knew you'd come here eventually."

* * *

><p>After the evening meal, Jacen quietly slipped away from the group to head down to the archives. As he moved through the airy corridors of the Jedi Temple, lit through the tall windows in brilliant orange from the setting sun, he thought on what he had learned of the differences in this reality.<p>

For one, he had no counterpart like his aunt, uncle, and grandfather; Leia had never met Han Solo here, and had instead married a Hapan prince. At the moment, that family was back on Hapes for a visit. Jacen had no intention of telling anyone else, but he was rather glad of this; he just couldn't picture his mother with anyone but his father, least of all some prince. He half-smiled to himself as he imagined what his father would have to say about that.

There had also been no galaxy-spanning civil war twenty years previous; after the turbulence of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council had taken control of the Senate, and had managed to keep things relatively settled, guiding the galaxy back to peaceful prosperity. This was not to say that the order itself had remained unchanged; as Anakin had described during dinner, Palpatine had still managed to send out Order 66 before his death, and so a large number of Jedi had been killed.

When the situation was finally stabilized, the surviving members of the Council had been forced to make some changes out of necessity. Anakin's secret marriage had of course come to light, but in view of the galactic instability, he had not been expelled from the Jedi Order. Instead, he had argued his case before the Council, and eventually they had reluctantly agreed to end the restriction on marriage. Now it was relatively common, though some Jedi still preferred to devote themselves fully to the Force instead of pursuing a family.

Padmé was still active in the government of Naboo, and Anakin and both their children were members of the Jedi Council here. Since Yoda had passed away at roughly the same time as his counterpart and Mace Windu had been killed fifteen years ago in an encounter with what Jacen realized must have been Yuuzhan Vong, Obi-Wan Kenobi served as this order's Grand Master.

Master Kenobi had listened with concern as they described the Yuuzhan Vong threat. He had once encountered them himself a number of years previous, though he had not known what they were at the time. He had thanked them for the information, and assured them he would immediately start preparing the Order and the Republic military to face the threat.

Jacen looked up as he sensed a familiar presence, and saw Qeris emerging from an adjoining corridor, clearly also headed for the archives. He gave her a polite nod, which she returned.

"This place is… so different," she remarked as she fell into step beside him. "It is the same building at home, but there it feels more like a military base than a temple. It is almost surreal to walk through corridors I've known my entire life but to see them like this." One corner of her mouth canted in a slight smile. "I find it fascinating."

"I've never been here myself," Jacen said, looking up at the massive columns that stretched to the ceiling far overhead. "The Temple on Alderaan was clearly inspired by this place, though."

"It's very peaceful," said Qeris. "I've always imagined your Temple to be like this."

Jacen smiled. "It is. Maybe when we get back, you can visit sometime."

She returned his smile. "I would like that."

Jacen sensed his grandfather approaching a moment before Vader appeared at the other end of the corridor, swooping down the staircase leading to the archives with a scowl still on his face.

"The Star Forge was destroyed here also," he announced without preamble, striding quickly over to them. "We should depart."

"Already?" Qeris asked, surprised. "We only arrived a few hours ago."

"And there is little point in remaining here," Vader said impatiently, walking past them without stopping. They were forced to turn and jog to keep up with his rapid pace.

"I would still like to-" Jacen began, but Vader interrupted with a glare.

"We are not tourists," he snapped. "Our objective here is complete. We should move on as quickly as possible. Need I remind you of the urgency of our mission?"

"All right," Jacen said mildly, though he was inwardly annoyed. He slowed and allowed Vader to carry on down the corridor, noting how several Jedi rapidly moved out of his grandfather's way, glancing after him as he passed.

"Why is he so angry?" Qeris asked, turning to him. "More than usual," she amended.

Jacen gestured to the Jedi Temple around them with one hand. "This place is the way it is because this reality's version of him made a different choice and never fell to the Dark Side. He sees how peaceful it is here and it makes him angry, since this reality's Anakin Skywalker achieved what he never could." He shrugged. "That's my guess, anyway; I can't pretend to know what he's really thinking."

"You may be correct," Qeris said, looking at the departing form of Vader with a faintly disappointed expression. Her sea-green eyes turned back to Jacen. "We should return to the ship then, I suppose."

With a wave of his hand, Jacen gestured back down the corridor. "After you."

* * *

><p>Leia walked through the ashes of a murdered world.<p>

They'd landed in what had once been the central square of the largest settlement on Sernpidal. Now, all that was left standing were a few skeletal beams, bent and twisted by the intense heat of the conflagration which had destroyed the town. Heavy ash clouds hung overhead, blocking out the sun and necessitating environmental suits because of the choking vapors.

The entire planet was one charred, ash-choked wasteland. Where once Sernpidal had been green and fertile, the site of a thriving colony, it was now nothing but burned-black cinders. The world was eerily silent, absent of all sound save the wind and Leia's own footsteps crunching over the dry ground. Her suit was entirely self-contained, and yet Leia felt she could still smell the smoke.

Blackened, melted hunks of metal and plastic that had once been speeders lay scattered over the remnants of the streets, some crashed into one another, others seeming to be fused into the ground by the intense heat. Not a single living thing could be seen or heard; what had once been trees were now only scattered piles of white ash, and everywhere were tiny bits of bone.

As the white cones of light from the lamps mounted on her helmet passed over the ruins of the town, it seemed to Leia that she could hear echoes of the screams she had heard through the Force. She saw amidst a heap of rubble and ash a tiny skeletal hand clutching the remnants of a toy, and she had to close her eyes and turn away, in tears.

Yes, the Force had been used to start this fire. Leia sensed it more with every step, a malicious hate seeming to permeate the very ground on which she walked. The traces felt odd, somehow… off, but they were there. Someone had destroyed this world for a very specific purpose.

She looked back as she heard her husband say her name over her helmet comm. "You'd better come take a look at this," Han said tightly, waving her over. Next to him, the enormous suited figure of Chewbacca stared grimly at something just out of sight.

Leia headed back toward them, dreading whatever she was about to see.

Sitting behind a pile of charred rubble that had once been a building was a three-meter-tall construction of twisted, blackened metal bent into the shape of flames. It had quite obviously been done deliberately; this was some sort of sculpture wrought from the ruins of the destroyed settlement.

Leia reached out a gloved hand to touch it, examining the thing with the Force, and instantly recoiled.

"Madness," she whispered, horrified.

"What?" Han asked, taking a step closer. His helmet lamp played over the twisted thing, causing reflections from a few shiny patches.

"Hate and pain," Leia said. She shook her head, disturbed. "Whoever made this is very strong in the Force… and _very_ insane."

"Oh, that's _just_ what we need," said Han, looking up at the thing in disgust. "As if we didn't have enough problems already…"

"We're taking it with us," Leia said, looking over at him. "I'm going to have some techs go over every centimeter of this thing. I want to know who the leader of this fire cult is and where I can find him."

"Let's get the power loader," Han said to Chewbacca, starting to turn, but Leia reached out and touched his arm.

"I've got it," she said distantly, letting her eyes fall half-closed in concentration.

Borne by her will, the twisted sculpture lifted free of the blackened ground and floated behind them back to the _Millennium Falcon_.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: My short story 'No Regrets' explains what Mira was doing on Yotuunhym, if you're interested. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading.<p> 


	13. The Art of War

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirteen<br>**(The Art of War)

"You know, up until I met you, I kinda liked droids," Jaina said to HK-47.

The two of them were in a technicians' workshop deep within the _Executor_, standing over a console on which Jaina was designing a suit of armor.

"Confused Statement: I merely pointed out the ease with which you could incorporate a flamethrower into your left gauntlet," said HK. "The Vong and all their technology are organic, and fire is highly damaging to meatbags. Puzzled Query: The purpose of this armor is to grant you a higher degree of efficiency in eliminating Vong meatbags on your missions, is it not?"

"The purpose of this armor is, as one might expect of armor, defense," Jaina said with an annoyed glance at the tall rust-red assassin droid. "I need good protection against Vong weapons while still retaining a degree of mobility."

The droid pointed a finger at the schematics on the tabletop screen. "Insistent Statement: A self-contained flamethrower would add little weight or mass to your gauntlet. Chiding Reminder: The ability to shoot flame from one's forearm would be useful in a large number of situations. One never knows when one will need fire."

"For the last time, I am not putting a flamethrower on my armor!" Jaina snapped, exasperated. "I don't need it!"

"Dismayed Observation: I see Jedi are still following the self-destructive path of pacifism and 'respect for life'," HK said mockingly. "An odd choice for an order who often ends up commanding armies in the galaxy's wars."

"We're not bloodthirsty like the Sith," Jaina retorted. "Jedi will fight, and we will kill if we have to, but we do _not_ enjoy it, unlike _some_ people."

HK-47's yellow photoreceptors flashed. "Indignant Reply: If that is a thinly veiled criticism of myself, I will have you know that our purposes in this chaotic galaxy are quite similar, Knight Solo."

Jaina cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Confirmation: Yes, really. Explanation: Our primary functions are to stabilize the galaxy by removing those who have a disruptive influence upon it. We merely differ in the methods used."

Jaina stared at the droid incredulously. "Did Revan program you like this?"

HK's head swiveled. "Answer: No. I reached this conclusion autonomously. Master Revan has done little to modify my programming since he completed my construction."

"Why are you even down here, anyway?" Jaina asked. "I certainly didn't ask for you."

The droid straightened. "Answer: Both of my masters have left on their respective missions, and I am accustomed to working with Jedi. Disappointed Statement: I had thought you would value my input in designing your armor, Knight Solo."

"Well, I neither need nor want your help," Jaina replied. "Go make yourself useful somewhere else, will you?"

HK-47 left in the mechanical equivalent of a huff, muttering to himself as he went.

"Been bothering you, too, I see," Malysa Kolos observed as she entered the workshop, glancing after the assassin droid.

"Jenn says he practically drove her crazy after she repaired him, and I believe her," Jaina said, shaking her head slightly. "Whatever. Did you need something?"

"My brother called me a little while ago," Malysa said. "He says Jag Fel has put in for a transfer to the _Executor_ with his fighter squadrons. Twenty years ago, serving on Vader's flagship was considered one of the highest privileges in the military, so I can see why. His father was her captain for a while before he was promoted." She gave Jaina a lightly teasing smile. "Pretty good-looking in that uniform, isn't he?"

"A little young for you, don't you think?" Jaina replied with equal humor.

Malysa laughed. "Very funny. You know what I meant."

Jaina shrugged, then smiled. "I'll grant that the uniform fits him very well."

Malysa laughed again, but her reply was interrupted by the buzzing of the intercom. Jaina answered it. "Solo here."

"_Your parents have returned from Sernpidal, Knight Solo,_" the _Executor's_ comm officer said. "_They said they found something you need to see."_

"When are they landing?"

"_They should arrive in approximately twenty minutes in Hangar Bay Three."_

"We'll meet them there," said Malysa, exchanging a glance with Jaina.

* * *

><p>Vader was stonily silent during the entire trip back to the nameless temple moon, his emotions so turbulent that none of the other passengers of <em>Argent Hawk<em> dared approach him.

Jacen sat meditating in a chair in the main hold, but he could sense his aunt Mara pacing restlessly on the other side of the room.

"Hyperspace travel seems more boring than usual," she said. "Let's go back to the cargo hold and spar."

Jacen smirked without opening his eyes. "No thanks," he said with a slight trace of wry amusement. "I don't particularly feel like getting trounced right now." He partially opened one eye. "Where's Uncle Luke? You can't spar with him?"

Mara shook her head. "He, Revan and Qeris are going over the files we got from the Jedi archives. Revan wants to know why he didn't find his counterpart in the temple, and they're trying to figure it out." She paused. "Trounced?"

Jacen closed his eye again. "You don't hold back when you fight, even in sparring matches. I know I can't beat you, so I don't feel like getting embarrassed again."

"Oh, come on," Mara cajoled. "I'm not that bad."

Jacen opened his eyes and looked over at her with a wry smile. "I'm still sore from when you knocked me flat on my butt six times in our last match. I think I'm going to stick to someone closer to my own skill level for a while."

"That's not the way things work in the real world," Mara reproved him. "Occasionally you have to fight someone who's more skilled than you are. Sometimes there's just no choice. I had to fight Darth Nova twice, and he was both more skilled with a lightsaber _and_ stronger with the Force."

"So what you're saying is, I should pretend you're a psychopathic Sith Lord in our sparring matches?" Jacen said mischievously.

Mara laughed lightly. "I promise not to use Force Lightning." She gestured upwards with one hand. "This is the only way you're going to get better. Let's go."

Jacen heaved a theatrical sigh. "Fine." He rose and shed his outer robe, tossing it over his chair.

He followed his aunt back to the starboard cargo hold, which was mostly empty. Mara headed for the far side, where she stopped, turned to face him, and ignited her magenta lightsaber. She adjusted a control near the emitter shroud, and the brilliant blade dulled slightly as she engaged the safety shield. As usual, she moved into the opening posture of Ataru, her feet planted slightly further apart than her shoulders, her blade held vertically upright at waist level in a two-handed grip.

Jacen ignited his emerald lightsaber and activated his own safety shield, then shifted into the classic defensive posture of Soresu, his preferred form for sparring matches. Feet planted wide, he held his lightsaber in one hand, blade angled forward at roughly eye level, with his other hand stretched out toward his opponent.

Mara paused for a moment, feinted slightly to the right, then dropped into a low spinning slash at Jacen's waist. He parried her blade away, leaped over her sweep kick, then deflected two more quick slashes aimed for his legs as he landed.

He twisted his blade through a spiraling slash aimed for Mara's neck, which she deflected to the left, and he responded by ducking, whirling his blade over his head, and coming at her from the other direction, shifting through a series of aggressive overhand blows that forced her backward.

As they locked blades briefly, Mara grinned. "Tricky, starting off with Form Three like that. Somebody's been practicing his Djem So."

"Like I… said," Jacen grunted, flexing his arms in an attempt to force her blade backwards, "I got tired of you knocking me on my butt."

Mara responded to that by unexpectedly grabbing his ankles with the Force and hauling back, dropping Jacen flat on his face.

"Much better," he muttered sarcastically into the cold, hard metal deckplates.

He rolled over, slapped away her downward slash at his torso, then pumped his legs up and then down, using the momentum to bring himself back to a standing position. Mercilessly, Mara advanced with a series of diagonal chops, driving him backwards toward one of the walls. Jacen angled his blade through a defensive pattern, trying to move first right and then left, but Mara kept advancing, corralling him toward a stack of crates in one corner.

Desperate, Jacen hurled himself into a tight back-flip, landing in a crouch on the top crate and also smacking his head quite hard on the ceiling. He grunted in pain, which Mara's taunt of, "Sloppy!" did nothing to assuage.

He thrust out one hand and sent out a Force shove that knocked her back several steps, then planted that hand on the top of the crate and swung himself down. As soon as his boots touched the deck, he advanced with a spinning slash, swinging through an aggressive pattern that she was forced to retreat in order to counter.

Eventually, he drove her blade down and to the left with a powerful two-handed slash, intending to pull back with his right wrist and twitch his blade up at her shoulder, but Mara spun with a lithe grace and slammed her elbow into his face just below his nose.

Jacen stumbled back a couple steps and tripped over his own feet, landing squarely on his backside with a painful, jarring thump. He allowed his lightsaber to deactivate, bringing one hand up to touch the base of his nose, where he felt a trickle of blood.

"I'm sorry," Mara said, dropping her lightsaber to her side and walking over to him. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

Jacen shrugged. "I was asking for it with that last move. I should have known you were going to do that."

"My original lightsaber training was extremely aggressive," Mara said, extending a hand which he took, allowing her to haul him to his feet. "Sometimes I fall back on old habits, sorry."

Jacen pressed the cuff of his sleeve to his nose, which was still bleeding. "Don't worry about it. Like I said, I was asking for it, allowing myself to get irritated like that."

"Well, before you go beating yourself up too much," Mara said, deactivating her lightsaber and clipping it to her belt, "you did very well. You surprised me with how much you'd improved since last time, which is why I fought back a little harder than I needed to. I didn't mean to hurt you," she said apologetically.

"The only real damage was to my pride," Jacen said half-jokingly. "Now I'm _definitely_ never sparring with you again."

"Foolish," Vader's voice said reproachfully from behind him.

Jacen turned to see his grandfather standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

"You should always spar with someone more skilled than yourself, if you are not instructing another," Vader went on. "It forces you to improve, so that you will be prepared for real combat against an unknown opponent. You will not always have the luxury of dueling those of your own skill level."

Surprising Jacen, Vader snatched his lightsaber from his belt, ignited the steel-gray blade, and attacked in one smooth motion. Jacen stumbled backwards, scrambling to activate his own weapon and defend.

"I don't want to spar right now," Jacen said when Vader paused. "I need to go take care of my-"

"Battle does not wait for when you are ready!" Vader shouted, whipping his blade around in a powerful horizontal slash that nearly tore Jacen's lightsaber from his hands. "You must _always_ be on guard," he went on, slicing down with a one-handed overhand blow.

Before Jacen could angle his blade to catch the next attack, Vader twisted his weapon and spun Jacen's lightsaber right out of his hands. He lashed out with a kick to the center of Jacen's chest that knocked him back against the wall and then to the floor. Then he swooped in and leveled the point of his blade at Jacen's neck.

"There are no breaks, no reprieves in the middle of battle," Vader intoned. "No matter your injuries, your exhaustion; you must maintain the will to fight at all times if you are to survive. Never give up."

Terrified, Jacen stared up at the huge specter of his grandfather with blade poised for the kill, a sight he knew dozens if not hundreds of Jedi had seen. In the back of his mind, he knew Vader meant him no real harm, but with the adrenaline pounding through his veins, it was hard to remember in that moment.

"That's enough," Mara said, starting to walk over to them.

Vader rounded on her, blade still pointed at Jacen. "You of all people should know the importance of not coddling one's student. It is not a kindness; it leads only to weakness."

"I _said_, that's enough," Mara said firmly, a bit of heat entering her tone. "Don't take your frustrations out on us."

"I am not so petty as you think me," Vader snapped. "Time and again you think the worst of me, assume my motivations are selfish, when what I _really_ want is for my family to survive. You have been living for twenty years in a Republic _I _make safe, I and the soldiers under my command, through our sweat and our blood. I am not being dramatic when I say we can no longer hold back the Vong. Open war will soon be upon you, and you will know battle the likes of which you have never seen. _He_ will know pain and struggle he has never known before, and as his grandfather, _I_ am doing my duty in making sure he will survive it."

Vader deactivated his lightsaber and crossed to Mara, raising one gloved hand to point a finger at her. "Perhaps you should spend less time worrying over my actions and instead consider whether _your_ chosen course is the right one." With that, he stormed out of the cargo hold.

Mara took a long, slow breath, visibly trying to keep herself calm. "Come on," she said quietly to Jacen. "Let's get you taken care of."

* * *

><p>Jenn stared at the holocron and its tiny hologram of her former student and friend. "Mira?"<p>

The hologram paused for just an instant, then continued on. "I don't have much time, and I'm not recording this physically, so, sorry if it messes up a little," Mira said with a wry half-smile, the sound distorting a few times. "I sense that you're still alive even after all this time, so you might come back here someday. In that case, I just wanted to say… thank you. You changed my life, Jenn, for the better."

Realizing Mira must have made this message just moments before her death, Jenn had to fight back tears again. She took a deep, calming breath, focusing on the tiny hologram.

"I know I don't have long," Mira went on, "so I want to tell you… don't get too broken up over this, huh? I came here looking for you, but I ended up being able to find some lost people one last time. They wouldn't have made it if not for us, so I don't regret this at all. Isn't that what you taught me? A Jedi's life is sacrifice. You taught me what being a Jedi _really_ meant. All I've seen, all I've done, all I've accomplished since you left… This was worth it."

The tiny image of Mira's face smiled. "I hope I see you again someday, somehow. Until then… May the Force be with you, Jenn."

"And with you," Jenn whispered as the hologram faded away.

Once she had collected herself, Jenn set off deeper into the temple through the narrow but high-ceilinged corridors.

After a minute or two, she came to the room where Corran and the boys stood over an ancient Rakatan computer console. Ben was prodding at some of the keys, frowning thoughtfully to himself, while Anakin, standing beside him, just looked annoyed. As Jenn approached, he gave the base of the console a frustrated kick.

"You know that only works on old Imperial computers," Ben said without looking at him, a slight smile quirking one corner of his mouth.

"You wanna find out if it works on snarky cousins, too?" Anakin growled distractedly, poking a few keys.

"What's the problem?" Jenn asked, moving to look over their shoulders at the screen, which currently displayed a sequence of incomprehensible alien characters.

"We got it to turn on, but we can't get it to use a language we understand," Corran said.

"Did you try plugging your datapad into it?" Jenn asked, looking down at the console.

"This thing popped open a few minutes after we turned it on," Anakin said, gesturing to a small receptacle near the bottom of the console. "Maybe that's what it's for."

Ben pulled his datapad out of a compartment on his belt and placed it inside, watching to see what happened. Whirring and clicking sounded from within the console, and the datapad shifted slightly in the receptacle.

The Rakata console's screen blinked a few times, then resolved itself into familiar Aurebesh letters which blinked twice more before arranging themselves into readable words.

_UNFAMILIAR NON-RAKATA SPECIES DETECTED_, the screen read. _ACCESS RESTRICTED._

"Of course it is," Jenn sighed, leaning one hand on the curving upper part of the large console. "There some way to get past this restriction?"

"I'll see what I can find," Ben said, tapping at the interface keys.

The screen flashed a few times and the computer emitted a deep hum. Finally, words appeared on the screen again. _CONFIRM ASSOCIATION:_ _IDENTIFY THE HOMEWORLD OF THE RAKATAN INFINITE EMPIRE._

It provided a list of systems identified by name and hyperspace coordinates, and Jenn scrolled through it until she recognized the Lehon system from Revan's description. She touched the name with one finger.

The screen flashed again and said, _SENDING TRANSMISSION… UNABLE TO LOCATE STAR FORGE I. SENDING TRANSMISSION… STAR FORGE II LOCATED._

Jenn stared at the screen in surprise. A _second_ Star Forge?

A hologram flared into being above the computer console, showing a similar room with walls of metal instead of stone. The room was silent but for the insistent buzzing on the other end.

With a suddenness that startled them all, a snarling, almost bestial humanoid face appeared in the hologram, grunting curiously. It spoke a few words in an unfamiliar language, and Jenn was surprised until she realized what she was seeing.

"A Vong?" she said aloud.

The being on the other end snapped another phrase which definitely included the words 'Yuuzhan Vong' amid the angry-sounding babble.

"Terminate transmission!" Jenn said urgently, realizing with horror what this meant.

The hologram disappeared and the console hummed quietly, occasionally letting out a quiet beep.

"This is not good," Ben said, glancing first at Anakin, then at Jenn. "If the Vong have a Rakatan factory under their control, it explains how they have so many ships, and maybe those weird cloned troopers, too."

"This doesn't make sense," said Corran, frowning as he stroked his beard with one hand. "The Vong hate technology, and they're absent from the Force besides. How in the galaxy would they be able to get a Star Forge up and running, and furthermore, why are they using it? They're fanatically opposed to any form of mechanical technology."

"Does this computer have a list of all Rakatan installations?" Jenn asked Ben, rapidly analyzing this new information in the back of her mind.

"Yes," he replied a moment later.

"Including the temple where Revan and I were trapped?" she asked, adding the hyperspace coordinates of the formerly uncharted system. In reply, Ben pulled up the system on the console's screen.

"Arctriel?" Anakin said, sounding out the unfamiliar word.

Ben shrugged. "At least we have something to call it now."

Jenn ignored them for the moment. "Would this information be in other Rakatan computer systems?"

"You think the Vong somehow learned about Arctriel from their Star Forge?" Corran asked.

Jenn nodded. "It explains how they knew where to find us even after we went to all that trouble to hide. I'd been wondering about that."

"Can you find the coordinates for the second Star Forge?" Corran asked Ben.

"Here they are," Ben said after a moment, displaying the coordinates on the screen.

Jenn's brows drew together in thought as she did some quick calculations in her head. "That's outside the galaxy," she said. "That's in one of the dwarf satellite galaxies, isn't it?"

"It's listed only as 'Companion Grek', the farthest out of the seven," said Corran, pulling up the information on his datapad. "As far as I know, no ships have ever gone there, or at least, have never come back. I don't know anything about the place."

"Explains why no one ever found this second Star Forge," Anakin remarked. He paused, then looked up at Jenn, realization sparking in his ice-blue eyes. "You want to go there, don't you?"

She nodded. "We're already stocked up with several months' worth of supplies. We'll head back to Terminus to check in with your mother, then we're going to go check this thing out."

"Just a quick scouting run, right?" Corran asked warily. "Because if Companion Grek is swarming with Vong, we'd better either bring a Super Star Destroyer or stick to the stealthy approach."

"The _Sabre _is fast and sneaky when it needs to be, just like Mom," Ben said with a slight smile. "If we're cautious, we should be able to go in and check out the second Star Forge without the Vong ever knowing we were there."

"It's decided, then," said Jenn, straightening. "We're done here; let's head out." She set off back down the stone-paneled corridor, the others right behind her.

As they drew closer to the entrance, Jenn sensed a cluster of life-forms outside, only moments before Whistler called Corran on the comm to report that _Jade Sabre_'s sensors had detected something moving outside.

Jenn drew and ignited her lightsaber as she walked outside, senses on full alert. The sun had set while they were inside, leaving the world shrouded in dim twilight.

Something moved in the trees, and Jenn turned to look at it, focusing also with the Force. "It's big and it's fast," she told the others, eyes fixed on the tree line.

Viridian light sparkled off the snow in front of her as Corran ignited his own lightsaber, joined swiftly by the indigo and sky-blue of Anakin and Ben.

Jenn had the distinct impression of eyes watching her, though she could not see them. A subtle blue glow twinkled from somewhere back in the trees, the forest ghostly silent but for the wind whistling through the branches.

More lights appeared in the trees, some blue, some a bright ruby-red. Jenn heard something that could have been a quiet growl.

In response, she whirled her cyan blade through an infinity arc and dropped into a defensive crouch, tensing her legs and gathering the Force about herself in preparation for a powerful leap towards the ship. She sensed Corran and the boys similarly tensing behind her.

One by one, still eerily silent, the lights winked out and the creatures faded from her senses as they withdrew.

"Did they just… leave?" Ben asked warily behind her.

"I'm not waiting around to find out," Anakin said, walking past Jenn towards the ship. "This whole planet is starting to give me a bad feeling."

"Starting?" Jenn muttered to herself, closing down her lightsaber.

* * *

><p>In one of the engineering workshops deep within <em>Executor<em>, Leia watched as a team of techs scanned the twisted metal sculpture she and Han had found among the ruins on Sernpidal. Jaina stood silently next to Malysa Kolos, also watching. Leia sensed that her daughter was trying to make sense of the thing, trying to figure out what kind of madman they were dealing with.

Also there was Grand Admiral Thrawn, who had been examining the sculpture intently since they had moved it down here from the hangar bay.

"It is somewhere between warning and threat," the Chiss admiral said finally. "The sculptor is expressing his rage but also his power; with this sculpture and the surrounding devastation in which you originally found it, its maker was expressing his capabilities and his willingness to repeat his atrocity."

"I just sense… insanity," Leia said, looking over at him.

"Oh, the sculptor is quite mad," Thrawn replied mildly. "But there is a peculiar logic here, as well. He is insane, but he is also highly intelligent; the duality is apparent in the style. Fascinating."

"There's nothing on it," one of the scanner techs announced finally. "No fingerprints, no DNA, not even any tool marks."

"It was made with the Force," Jaina said. "He twisted the beams like this without touching them."

"Here," Thrawn said, pointing to an area of the three-meter-tall sculpture near the top. "See this? It shows that this was wrought while the metal was hot, almost to the melting point. He must have been down there during the conflagration."

"If he's able to shield himself from a fire of that size and intensity," Leia said grimly, "he's even more powerful than I thought. None of the Sith we have on record showed anywhere near this level of potential."

Malysa's dark brows raised in surprise. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying only someone on the level of my family could have done this," Leia replied. "It can't be Darth Nova, because he's been dead for over twenty years, and no one else even close to his power has been recorded since then. This means we're dealing with someone entirely unknown."

"Powerful, crazy, and we know nothing about him," said Jaina. "Fan-kriffing-tastic."

"My sentiments exactly," said Malysa. She looked over at Leia. "So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to keep looking into this fire cult," Leia replied. "I want to know who this Burned Lord is, and where I can find him." She folded her arms over her abdomen. "I think it's time to pay a visit to Talon Karrde and see what else he can find out about this."

* * *

><p>At Vader's insistence, the <em>Argent Hawk<em> transitioned to another alternate reality instead of returning to their home universe. As the last crackles of the transition effect faded away, Jacen left the cockpit and waited by the hatch, preparing to explore this version of the Generator's temple.

"Did you ever find out why that last reality's versions of you and Jenn weren't in the temple?" he asked Revan, who stood next to him, adjusting his black outer robe's cuffs over a pair of heavy gloves.

The Jedi Master shrugged. "I'll leave it to the physicists to figure out, but apparently the actual point of divergence for these realities is much further back than Anakin Skywalker's actions during the fall of the Republic. There are a large number of parallels, parts of history that are identical in both universes, but certain things are different. Apparently Jenn and I never came to this planet in that last universe, though I couldn't find any specific details."

"It's strange, all the different courses history could have taken," Qeris remarked as she joined them. "It's interesting to be able to explore a few of the possibilities."

The three of them ventured into the temple to explore its half-frozen corridors while Luke and Mara worked to excavate a tunnel through the glacier like last time. Vader and R2-D2 remained in the ship to again reconfigure the hyperdrive for normal travel.

"Are these lightsaber burns on the walls?" Qeris asked as they moved through the long, gently sloping stone-paneled corridor to the upper level.

"It looks like it," Revan said. His dark eyes flicked around the assorted damage to the walls, including one statue which appeared to have been forcibly ripped from its base and hurled down the corridor. "Someone fought a duel here a very long time ago."

Jacen shuddered at the impressions he felt through the Force. "Anger," he said. "Hate, strong hate. The Dark Side was used to do something terrible here. I can still feel it even after this long."

As they neared the room where Revan and Jenn had been trapped, Jacen sensed Revan's surprise as the Jedi Master paused in the entryway, outside the limits of the suspended-animation field. When Jacen arrived a step behind him, he realized why:

Revan and Jenn were both present here, trapped in suspended animation, but it was alarmingly obvious that they had been fighting, not working together.

Jenn was dressed in her usual robes of varied shades of blue, but she was slumped on the ground, her clothing darkened in a scattered pattern of what looked like electrical burns and her hair in disheveled disarray. Revan stood over her with her cyan lightsaber stabbed through his chest, his hands raised and a residual crackle of Force Lightning wreathed around them. This version of Revan had the familiar goatee, but his dark hair was much shorter, shorn close to his skull, and he wore armor and robes of black. Jacen could see from here that his eyes were a fiery yellow instead of their normal dark brown.

From Jacen's estimate of the disturbing frozen tableau, Revan and Jenn had been the ones who had fought the epic duel here, traces of which could still be sensed. They had fought their way up to this room, where they had been instantly frozen just as they had killed one another; Revan's Force Lightning had finally overcome Jenn, but not before she was able to throw her lightsaber into his chest.

"By the Force," Qeris said in hushed tones. "What is happening here?"

"Apparently in this reality I remained a Sith Lord," Revan said grimly, staring at the dark version of himself. "This… I can't even imagine this happening where we belong."

Jacen could think of nothing to say; he could hardly believe this himself. He hadn't known Revan and Jenn for very long, but he had sensed a strong bond of friendship between them, a sense of having survived unimaginable horrors together, of having shared great joy and great sorrow. To see versions of them locked in mortal combat, frozen in the midst of having killed one another, was almost surreal in its implausibility.

Abruptly, Revan wordlessly turned and left, moving so swiftly that the hem of his robe slapped Jacen's leg. Jacen exchanged a concerned look with Qeris before he followed the Jedi Master.

Revan said nothing on their way back to the ship, but Jacen could sense his disquiet. What they had found disturbed Revan more than he was willing to admit.

"Where do you want to go?" Mara asked as they entered the hangar. "Coruscant again?"

"No, we should head directly for Lehon," Revan said. "We don't have anybody to drop off this time, so we can confirm for ourselves whether or not the Star Forge is still around."

Minutes later, the _Argent Hawk_ was soaring through the skies of the icy moon and up into space. As the last misty fingers of the thin atmosphere faded away into starry obsidian, Jacen noticed something odd. He pointed up through the cockpit viewports, high above the ringed gas giant.

"I thought this planet only had three moons," he said, peering at the unfamiliar gray sphere, its otherwise smooth surface dominated by an enormous crater in its northern hemisphere.

"So did I," Luke said with a frown from the copilot's seat. "Funny, there's no evidence of a destroyed moon in this system back where we come from."

Vader suddenly hauled the ship around and raced away from the unfamiliar moon as fast as the ship was able.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked, surprised.

"That's no moon," Vader answered tersely, accelerating for all the engines were worth. "It's a space station."

"What? That's too big to be a space station!" Jacen exclaimed. Then he belatedly remembered something he'd once read. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that's…?"

The comm crackled to life suddenly, and a cold, Coruscanti-accented voice said, "_Unidentified vessel, this is Her Imperial Majesty's Death Star _Retaliator. _You will be taken aboard for questioning. Do not resist, or we will destroy you."_

"They actually built one of those here?" Jacen said, aghast.

"Two," Luke said grimly, gesturing up at another huge gray sphere that had come into view as they rounded the temple moon. "They've got us in a tractor beam. There's nothing we can do."

Vader's gloved hands tensed around the controls, but as his mismatched eyes flicked to the sensors and then back up to the Death Star, he reluctantly dropped his hands and settled back into his seat.

"What are they doing here?" Jacen wondered aloud.

Vader looked down at the sensor board. "There is an enormous fleet here besides the two of them; hundreds of ships. Some of these configurations are unfamiliar to me."

Jacen peered at the Death Star which had ensnared them, whose giant crater-like superlaser array was glowing with eight green points of light scattered around its rim. As he watched, eight green beams lanced out and joined into one huge beam which screamed through the void above them to slam into one of the distant warships. So destructive was the beam that the sensors indicated nearly three dozen of the ships around it were instantly vaporized.

The dying screams of hundreds of thousands of people resonated through the Force, overwhelming Jacen's senses. He pressed his hands to his head, trying to shut out the deafening agony and the even more ghastly silence which followed it.

The Death Star swelled in the viewports, drawing them inexorably closer.

* * *

><p>-\-

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><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay; Darth Real Life decided to be fiendish lately, so I'm sorry if I haven't replied to your last couple of reviews, also. Major thanks to all reviewers, and thanks also to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	14. Isolation

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* * *

><p><strong>Fourteen<strong>  
>(Isolation)<p>

In the confusion from the overwhelming death of the battle and their capture, Jacen lost track of the others. He awoke in a frigid pitch-black cell, his very bones aching with the cold. As he slowly regained consciousness, he realized his lightsaber was gone, as were his outer robe, belt, and boots. He was left with nothing but his tunic, trousers, and socks.

Why couldn't he remember what happened? He remembered the titanic Death Star ensnaring them with its powerful tractor beams, then firing on a fleet of warships elsewhere in the system. The horrifying sensation of so much death resonating through the Force had overwhelmed his senses, and Jacen supposed he must have passed out, because he remembered nothing after that.

Shivering, Jacen hugged his arms around his chest and stretched out to the Force. He sensed hundreds of thousands of lives around him, perhaps as many as a million, but none of them were familiar. Their thoughts and emotions were strange, almost… blank. It was as if they breathed, ate, slept, went about their duties, but did none of it by their own volition.

Then he sensed the staggeringly powerful controlling influence, one so steeped in the Dark Side that his shudder had nothing to do with the cold. It was all the more unsettling because it seemed vaguely familiar; like someone he knew, but warped and twisted almost beyond recognition.

A rectangle of blinding white light suddenly appeared to one side, and Jacen raised a hand to shield his eyes, wincing. Gradually, he became aware of a silhouette in the open door, one he recognized.

"Mother?" he said, puzzled.

But as his eyes adjusted and the woman stepped closer, he realized she was _not_ his mother. She had Leia's face, but the cruel, arrogant set to her mouth had never once crossed his mother's features. Her eyes were an acidic yellow, regarding him with faint amusement, as if he were some small, struggling creature she was about to crush beneath her boot. She was dressed in a flowing, low-cut gown of deep burgundy, almost the color of dried blood, with her long brown hair pulled back into a severe braid. A polished aurodium necklace gleamed in the bright light from the glowpanel in the corridor behind her, and the long-nailed fingers of one hand absently toyed with its pendant as the sinister woman with his mother's face regarded him.

"Mother, you say?" the woman said, even her voice the same, but tinged with an almost malicious amusement. "I must say, a prisoner has never before addressed me thus. You are an odd one. What is your name, boy?"

Jacen elected to remain silent, struggling to process this unexpected horror.

The woman's expression shifted into something that could only be described as sadistic pity. "Silence will gain you nothing."

Stubbornly, Jacen said nothing, pouring all his concentration into building up his mental defenses against the telepathic assault he was sure this dark woman was about to unleash upon him.

Her full lips, dark as rich Alderaanian port, quirked in a cruel smile. "Very well." She turned her head slightly, keeping her yellow eyes fixed on Jacen. "Soak him."

The door abruptly slammed shut, then a myriad of streams of icy water hammered him from all sides. He spluttered, gasping as the sheer force of the streams battered him back against the wall, keeping him down despite his attempts to rise. The water level in the cell rose swiftly, rapidly climbing above his head. Jacen thrashed, struggling to escape the icy hammers that kept him pinned at the bottom, but there were too many. His lungs burned. Water forced its way into his mouth, and he choked, straining madly to suppress the urge to breathe in.

Just as abruptly as they had begun, the streams of water turned off. He surged upwards, trying to find the surface, and as soon as he felt the skin of his face break through to air, he spat out the water, choking and gagging. He sucked in deep lungful of air, only to succumb to a violent fit of coughing.

The water level continued to rise, and finally settled just above the level of his mouth. Standing on the tips of his toes, he was just barely able to keep his face above the water. He knew he couldn't stand like this forever, but in the utterly dark cell there was nothing to stand on and the ceiling was out of reach.

Aside from the quiet sloshing of the water, the cell was totally silent.

Jacen was completely alone.

* * *

><p>It could have been minutes, hours or days later that a hatch opened above him, again blinding him with harsh white light. Jacen had lost all track of time, and was exhausted from trying to keep his face above the water.<p>

"Your companions are becoming distinctly irritating," the dark woman's voice called down to him. A moment later her unsettlingly familiar face appeared in the white square of light, her long brown braid slipping over her shoulder as she leaned over to look down at him. "They seem to be quite adept at avoiding my men, and have been causing all manner of mayhem."

"You'll never catch them," Jacen taunted, unwilling to give up. "You should just let me go while you still have the option."

The cruel parody of his mother scoffed dismissively and gestured imperiously with one hand. A shape toppled over the side of the hatch to plunge down into the water with Jacen, pushing him into the wall. The figure bobbed up immediately, gasping and splashing, and clawed its long midnight-black hair away from its face. Jacen recognized Qeris an instant before the hatch slammed shut and left them in darkness.

With a swishing gurgle, the water level dropped significantly, and Jacen was finally able to stand flat on his feet, though the water was only a few centimeters below his chin and still frigid cold. He heard Qeris sloshing around somewhere nearby, muttering angrily to herself in Onderonian. Through the Force, he sensed her swiftly regain control, her emotions dropping back into their usual professional calm.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"You passed out shortly before we were brought aboard," Qeris replied, "and though we tried to fight off the boarding troops, we were forced to leave you behind. We've been evading them for several hours, but I was captured when I tried to access a computer near the hangar bay, attempting to ascertain your location. I don't know where the others are, though I assume they're looking for us."

Jacen blindly reached out through the water and his fingers encountered her shoulder, which he was surprised to note was bare. Qeris shifted slightly, but he soon felt her hand on his forearm.

"You still have your clothes?" she asked.

"You, uh, don't?" Jacen said, reflexively letting go of her shoulder in embarrassment.

Her grip on him tightened, her fingers warm in the cold water. "I keep a number of weapons on my person," she said. "They were rather thorough in their search, and left me with nothing. Literally," she added, and though it was inflected with indignation, he could hear a slight undertone of wry amusement.

Jacen was suddenly very glad the cell was dark enough that she couldn't see him blush.

"May I have your tunic, if it's not too much of an imposition?" Qeris inquired, her voice tinged with just enough light teasing that he realized she had sensed his embarrassment anyway. "This water is rather cold."

"Oh! Uh, sure!" Jacen said hurriedly, reaching down to pull his sodden tunic up over his head. "Sorry." He held it out, and felt his knuckles lightly brush against her back. The hot flush crept up his neck again.

Qeris turned and accepted the garment, and he heard the quiet splashing as she put it on. Her hand found his forearm again, and moved up to rest on his shoulder. He did the same, placing his hand on her shoulder, which was now covered by the soft bantha-wool of his tunic.

He sensed her hesitate for a moment, troubled. "These people are led by this reality's version of your mother," she said finally. "I heard some of her men call her Lady Vader, and also Empress. I believe she is a Sith."

"Me, too," Jacen said grimly. "She provided me with our lovely accommodations when I refused to answer her questions."

Qeris was quiet for a long moment. "Strange," she said. "This station must be hundreds of kilometers in diameter. Why did she put us in the same cell?"

"I assume we're bait for the others," Jacen replied. "She put us together so that they'd be more likely to sense us in the Force."

"They must be hiding; I don't sense them anywhere nearby," said Qeris. "All I sense is… her."

Jacen nodded once, shivering. "She hasn't tried to look in my mind yet, but I… know it's coming." He didn't even want to think about that; just the knowledge that his mother was Sith here was disturbing enough.

"Best not to dwell on that," Qeris said. She paused for a moment. "How far up would you say that ceiling hatch is?"

"Three-and-a-half meters from the floor, maybe four," Jacen guessed, judging by the brief glimpse of it he'd had. He looked over at Qeris, though he couldn't see her in the darkness. "It's probably locked," he cautioned.

"Then I'll unlock it with the Force," she said with a trace of impatience. "I've trained in that sort of thing."

Jacen did not like this plan. "There's probably guards right next to it," he said, trying to discourage this line of thought.

"Then they'll knock us back down," Qeris snapped. "I refuse to just sit here like a helpless lack-wit and wait for someone else to come rescue me. We at least have to try."

Jacen sighed heavily, but acquiesced. "You'll be wanting to stand on my shoulders, I suppose."

"Once I get the hatch open, I trust you'll not look up?" she said, and he thought he detected a very slight hint of teasing in her tone.

He frowned into the darkness, trying to puzzle this out. "What?"

"I'll be standing on your shoulders, and I haven't anything on under your tunic," Qeris said patiently, the amusement even greater now. "Don't look up."

Jacen coughed, feeling the heat creep up his neck and into his cheeks again. "Of course not," he said more quickly than he intended.

"Thank you." He was sure she was smirking at him.

"Put your foot in my hands and I'll boost you up," he said, interlacing his fingers to give her an initial foot-hold. He leaned over to put his hands at about the level of his knees.

Qeris' hands gripped his shoulders, and he braced himself as she placed her foot in his hands and shifted her weight onto it. Jacen grimaced with effort as she placed both hands on top of his head and brought her other foot up to his shoulder, and he tried to ignore the fact that he could feel her toned abdomen against his cheek through the sodden wool tunic.

Her foot left his hands and moved up to his other shoulder, and Jacen shifted slightly, trying to maintain his balance. He brought his hands up to grip her ankles, shifting his feet for greater stability when her bare feet slipped a little on his wet shoulders.

"Hurry up," he grunted.

"Almost there," she said with enviable calm. "Steady."

It was only seconds, but felt like hours later that she said, "It's a mechanical lock, not electrical. I can work with this." An instant later he heard a metallic click.

Both of them tensed, waiting for a reaction from the guards. But as long seconds ticked by, it became increasingly clear there wasn't going to be one.

The hinges of the hatch squealed slightly as Qeris pushed it up a couple of centimeters, and Jacen tensed again, squinting against the dim light that trickled in. True to his word, he kept his head down.

"I don't see anyone," she whispered down. "Hold on."

The squeal of the hatch seemed deafening as she shoved it the rest of the way open. "We're in luck," she said, voice taut with effort as she got her elbows up over the edge of the hatch. "There's no one here."

He felt her weight lessen slightly on his shoulders, then vanish entirely as her feet lifted up. Jacen stood there in the neck-deep water for a moment, feeling slightly foolish as he listened to her wet skin squeaking on the polished floors as she moved around above him.

"I hear alarms off in the distance," she whispered down. "I don't think any guards are still here."

Jacen frowned and looked up at her. "That doesn't make sense. Why would they just go off and leave us here?"

"Perhaps the others have come to rescue us," Qeris said from above him. "Why don't we make their task easier and meet them halfway? Give me your hand."

"You are being entirely too optimistic about this," Jacen muttered mostly to himself, but he reached up for her hand anyway, straining up on the tips of his toes to reach.

Qeris wrapped both hands around his wrist and forearm and pulled up with a groan of exertion, her muscles flexing beneath the wet sleeves of the tunic. Jacen grabbed the edge of the hatchway with his other hand and pulled up, hooking his elbow in the corner. He kicked with his legs, trying to wriggle farther up, and ignored the discomfort as the hard edge dug into his stomach. Finally, Qeris reached down his back with one hand and grabbed the top of his trousers, pulling up and back with a final surge that left them both sprawled on the floor beside the hatch.

Jacen could only lay there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and pull some strength back into his limbs. Only when Qeris shifted slightly beneath him did he realize he was still lying half on top of her.

"Well?" she said with tired teasing into his ear. "Are you going to get up, or are you just getting comfortable?"

He awkwardly rolled off, a little too quickly, and nearly slipped over the edge of the hatch. Moving quickly, she caught his arm and pulled him back, chuckling despite the situation.

"Well, I'm glad _you're_ having fun," Jacen said sourly, though he couldn't help but laugh a little himself. He lay there for a moment next to her, still breathing heavily. "Where are the others? Can you sense them?" he asked, looking over at her.

Qeris pulled herself up on one elbow, eyes half-closing in concentration. "No," she said after a moment. "It's hard to get a sense of anything, really."

"Same here," Jacen panted, rubbing his hands over his face. Ignoring his exhaustion, he rose to one knee and then stood, bracing his hands on his knees. He watched for a moment as droplets of water dripped from his hair and onto the polished black floor, distorting his reflection.

He helped Qeris to her feet and then hitched up his trousers, looking around the stark gray corridor, lit by harsh white glowpanels. No troopers were within sight, nor even any security cameras. The faint whoop of an alert siren could be heard from somewhere off in the distance, muffled by at least one heavy door.

"Let's get out of here," Jacen said, moving for the closest door. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not waiting around to find out."

Qeris followed, but suddenly stopped as they reached the door. "Wait," she said, placing her hand on his forearm as he reached for the controls.

Jacen dropped his hand. "Yeah," he agreed. "I've got a bad feeling about…"

He trailed off as the door opened anyway, revealing Lady Vader standing there examining her nails, rubbing the edge of her thumb over the tips of her fingers. Her acidic yellow eyes raised to meet his gaze, and she smirked. "A valiant effort, but ultimately futile."

She made a flicking gesture with her fingers, and an overpowering Force shove knocked Jacen head over heels backwards, tumbling back toward the open hatch. His fingers slipped against the wet floor, and he fell in, slamming against cold water that did nothing to soften his impact.

Spluttering, he pushed his head above water and gasped, trying to pull air back into his lungs. He looked up to see the Empress' cruelly smirking face above him just before the hatch slammed closed and left him in darkness again.

* * *

><p>An indeterminate amount of time later, the water abruptly drained out of his cell, leaving Jacen sprawled on the ice-cold floor in nothing but his trousers. He shivered, hugging his arms around his bare torso as he slowly pulled himself upright, but he determinedly forced himself to ignore the cold and focus on the Force. At least he still had that.<p>

The door whooshed open into a bright rectangle of light, once again revealing the dark silhouette of Lady Vader. Jacen gritted his teeth, bracing himself, and true to form, her greeting was to send a purple-blue bolt of Force Lightning into his body with enough force to send him tumbling against the back wall.

Jacen gasped in pain, shuddering uncontrollably as he waited for the agony to fade.

"You are depressingly weak, considering the power I sense within you," Lady Vader said, crossing her arms. Her tone shifted to outright mockery. "A true Jedi."

Jacen said nothing, refusing to allow this terrible woman to provoke him. He would _not_ allow himself to succumb to anger and fear. He slowly hauled himself up into a sitting position again, leaning back against the wall.

"I happened to notice in the security recordings that one of your companions bears an odd resemblance to my brother," the Empress went on, one hand rising to toy with the pendant of her necklace. "It can't be Luke, of course, since I killed him over twenty years ago. What is he, a clone? Have you Rebels really become that desperate?"

Jacen stubbornly remained silent, determined not to say a single word.

She smiled enough to show her perfect white teeth, unconcerned. "Now that I think about it, I distinctly remember killing the red-haired one, too, slowly and painfully when she tried to rescue my brother. You certainly are an odd little group, ghosts and weaklings."

Jacen merely gave her a placid stare, using all his focus to keep his thoughts calm, giving her nothing to read.

"What did you mean when you called me mother?" she asked, predator's grin fading into an equally predatory stare, a patient focus. "I sensed a curious note of… hope, when you said that, even recognition."

He maintained his placid expression and said nothing.

Lady Vader sighed impatiently. "Your petulant silence grows wearying, Jedi. You may entertain notions of resisting me, but I assure you, you _will_ tell me what I want to know. So far our time together has been relatively pleasant. Believe me when I tell you I can make it much less so."

Jacen allowed a hint of defiance into his stare.

Her response to this was to reach out with one hand, thumb and first two fingers extended. An invisible grip fastened around Jacen's throat and lifted him up, leaving his feet kicking helplessly at the air while his hands grappled uselessly with intangible fingers around his neck.

Desperately, he gathered the Force and _shoved,_ throwing all his strength into it. Lady Vader flew backwards off her feet, skirt fluttering around her legs, and slammed heavily into the wall of the corridor outside the cell, sliding to the floor with a grunt.

Jacen stood unsteadily, panting, fists clenched at his sides, and prepared to shove again while she was still off-balanced. But before he could, she raised a hand and threw a bolt of Force Lightning into his chest, one even more powerful than before. He couldn't keep his feet under the assault and toppled, landing painfully on his back.

With frighteningly cool poise and dignity, Lady Vader rose to her feet and primly smoothed down her skirts. She slightly raised one perfectly sculpted brow in interest, her expression totally devoid of the rage he had been expecting.

The dark woman strode calmly into his cell and paused next to him where he still lay gasping on the floor. With a smooth, graceful movement, she placed her foot on his chest, the sharp spike of her heel resting on his collarbone while the pointed toe dug into his chin.

"_Now_ we're making progress," she said with satisfaction. Her fiery yellow eyes bored into his as her smile faded into a cold stare. "I'll give you some time with your thoughts."

The Empress turned and left the cell with a swirl of skirts, her heels clicking on the deck, and then the door slammed closed and the frigid water hammered him again.

* * *

><p>Jacen didn't realize he had passed out until he was jolted awake by an ungentle boot in his ribs. He jerked, blinking away the droplets that dripped into his face from his still-wet hair as he sat up, and realized he had been slumped back in one corner of the cell, seated on the floor.<p>

A white-armored Imperial Stormtrooper stood over him, blaster rifle leveled at his chest. "Get up," the trooper said brusquely, his voice rendered flat by his helmet.

As Jacen slowly hauled himself to his feet, wincing, he realized the trooper was not alone; there were at least four other stormtroopers outside the cell. The first one grabbed Jacen's shoulder, spun him and slammed him into the wall with enough force to make him see stars, then clicked a pair of binders around his wrists.

Jacen staggered outside under the troopers' prodding and saw Qeris there, still wearing his earthy brown and forest-green tunic, her long black hair hanging in disheveled tangles around her face and shoulders. Her wrists were also bound behind her back by binders, but her sea-green eyes held a quiet resolve, meeting his gaze in silent solidarity.

Doors at either end of the cell-block corridor hissed open to reveal dozens more stormtroopers, their blasters trained on Jacen and Qeris. Their white boots made a thunderous cacophony on the floor as they swarmed around the two of them, regimented minds unnervingly inscrutable.

"Do not resist," Lady Vader said as she moved past her soldiers at one end of the corridor. She walked with a cool aristocratic grace down the corridor to stop next to them. "You are coming with us. If you struggle, my men will stun you and drag you along anyway. There are far too many for you to overcome without your Jedi weapons, and _I_ will make sure you do not try anything else."

Jacen felt a slight pressure around his throat as she said this, and had to fight down panic as he felt the dark woman's presence in his mind, preventing him from mustering the concentration to use the Force.

Lady Vader led the group to a small control room staffed by half a dozen men and women in the familiar gray Imperial uniforms. They, too, had unnervingly inscrutable minds, their eyes oddly blank as they moved about their duties.

"Give me station-wide," the dark woman said to one of the crewmen. "I want this on every screen and over every intercom."

"Yes, Lady Vader," the man said evenly in a near-monotone. He punched a series of keys on his console, then looked up at the dark woman and nodded once.

"This is the Empress," Lady Vader began. "To the group of Jedi skulking around my station, I issue this reminder: I have two of your friends. If you do not surrender yourselves to one of my patrols within ten minutes, I will execute them both." Her dark lips quirked in a cruel smile. "And to show I am sincere…"

She turned, and the Force crackled around her. Jacen tensed in the grip of the stormtroopers, trying to prepare himself, but it was to no avail. The white-armored troopers shoved him and Qeris to the deck, and then a storm of purple-blue lightning leaped from the Empress' hands to crawl in fiery fingers over them both.

Jacen screamed. His every nerve was on fire, flashes of incredible agony twitching throughout his entire body. He thrashed uncontrollably, straining to summon enough focus to shield himself with the Force, to absorb the lightning the way some Jedi Masters were able, but he could not. He could only huddle helplessly on the cold metal deck and wait for the pain to end.

But it didn't. It went on and on, until he thought he would go mad. Finally, blessedly, he lapsed into unconsciousness and slipped into the black abyss.

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><p>-\-

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><p>Author's Note: As you may have noticed, FFnet has added the option to add cover art to stories. For now, I have a portrait of OMS-verse Darth Vader that a friend of mine did a while ago serving as the 'cover' of the series, (you can find the original in my Favorites on DeviantArt) but if you would like to do cover art for any of the stories in the series, character portraits, or anything else, please PM me or contact me on my DA page. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	15. Into the Fire

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* * *

><p><strong>Fifteen<strong>  
>(Into the Fire)<p>

"_Another Star Forge?_" the miniature hologram of Leia Organa Solo asked. She paused, frowning slightly. "_It's too bad we didn't learn this before my brother's group left; we could have saved them some trouble._"

"Well, we don't know when he's going to be back," Jenn replied, leaning forward slightly in her chair, "and someone has to check this out. We're already out here." She paused herself for a moment. "If you think it's too dangerous for the boys, I can get a ship here at Terminus and go by myself."

In his seat behind her in the cockpit of _Jade Sabre_, Anakin leaned forward, starting to protest, but his mother shook her head.

"_It's fine; keep going. The boys need more field experience, anyway."_ Leia met Jenn's eyes through the hologram. "_I trust you and Corran to keep them safe._"

Jenn nodded once. "We will."

She was about to ask another question when someone entered the comm center on Leia's end and said something Jenn didn't catch. What she did notice was the widening of Leia's eyes in alarm.

"_Lando Calrissian's facility at Dubrillion is under attack,_" Leia said quickly. "_I have to go_." Without even waiting for Jenn's response, she cut the connection.

In the pilot's seat, Corran sighed. "This is the main problem with being a Jedi," he said. "Having to stick to your own mission when you want to help somewhere else." He drummed his fingers on the console for a moment. "I just need to call Mirax and tell her what I'm doing, and then we can head out."

Jenn stood, gesturing for Anakin to do the same. "We'll double-check our supplies while you're doing that," she said. "I have no idea what we're going to find out there in Companion Grek besides Vong, so I want be ready for anything."

"A fellow over-preparer. I knew we were going to get along great," Corran said with a tight smile. He spun his chair back to the console, keying the long-range comm again.

* * *

><p>From his perch in the ventilation duct, near the ceiling of the cavernous hangar bay within the Death Star where <em>Argent Hawk<em> was secured, Luke stared down at the captive vessel. Next to him, Mara shifted slightly, sharp green eyes roving over the wreckage and other detritus scattered across the deck near the vessel.

"It doesn't look like they've done anything to the ship," she whispered to him, "though we'd have to get aboard to make sure."

Luke shook his head. "Too many guards right now."

His wife fixed him with a confident smirk. "Farm-boy, have you forgotten what I used to do for a living? I can get down there and into the ship easy. How much time do we have we left?"

Luke glanced down at his wrist chronometer. "Seven minutes. I just hope Vader and Revan can find them before then."

"If anyone can get through all those guards and… that woman," Mara whispered, "it's the two of them. Our job is to make sure the ship is ready to go by the time they get down here, and we can't do that hiding in the ventilation system. Do something to distract the guards on my signal."

With that, she waited until none of the guards were looking in their direction, then soundlessly opened the vent and gracefully dropped down to crouch behind a stack of crates. Luke carefully lowered the vent cover back down, then half-closed his eyes, concentrating on a twisted hulk that had once been a freighter engine, which was on the opposite side of _Argent Hawk_ from the boarding ramp. He focused on the slight trickle of power still in its backup systems, and twitched the throttle controls slightly.

The engine sputtered and sparked, wobbling before finally falling over with a tremendous crash. Three of the seven guards he could see hurried over to the blackened hulk, weapons trained on it warily, but the other four stayed where they were, watching the entrance to the hangar and the ship itself.

This was the annoying thing about the Empire; some of the men were just too professional.

Luke concentrated again, and sent the power in the reserve battery of a blaster cannon coursing through its systems to fire a low-powered bolt up into the ceiling. Even the four guards reflexively looked up at the impact point, and below, Mara took advantage of their instant's distraction to sprint with Force-enhanced speed over to the ship and up the boarding ramp. She would have appeared as nothing but a slight blur of motion even if the guards had been looking.

"_I warned you,_" Lady Vader's voice boomed from the intercom suddenly. "_Now face the consequences._"

With terrible abruptness, the slight sense of Jacen and Qeris vanished from the Force, leaving nothing behind. Luke felt an icy ball of horror in the pit of his stomach; somehow the Empress had sensed what they were doing and had instantly executed her prisoners.

Unwilling to believe it, Luke strained to find his nephew and the Imperial Knight with the Force, but there was nothing to find. They were gone.

"_The time for subtlety is over,_" the deep mechanical voice of Darth Vader's helmet vocoder said from the comlink clipped to Luke's collar, breaking into his thoughts. "_Revan and I will disable the tractor beam on our way to the hangar. Hold the line until we arrive._"

Luke said nothing, still frozen with grief and shock. How could this have happened?

"_MOVE!_" Vader's voice bellowed from his collar, and he shook his head, collecting himself. There would be time to mourn later; right now they had to ensure their own survival.

Luke took the comlink from his collar and keyed a sequence into it. "Artoo, you there?"

The astromech whistled back, confirming that he was still hidden in the cargo hold where he'd secreted himself during the chaotic boarding.

"Get up to the cockpit, plug yourself in, and get things ready while Mara and I hold off the guards. I want to be ready to go as soon as the others get here."

Artoo bleeped an acknowledgment, then signed off.

Luke took a deep breath, using the Force to calm himself and summon as much concentration as he was able, then kicked open the vent and sprang out. He used the Force to angle his descent as he soared out into the hangar bay, snatching his lightsaber from his belt, and sprang into motion as soon as his boots touched the deck.

A hail of ruby blaster bolts swarmed over at him from the stormtroopers, but his emerald blade intercepted them all, deflecting them into the ceiling, the walls, and some back into the troopers themselves. Two of the white-armored men dropped back, their armor clattering on the deck as they collapsed.

The Force flowed through him, directing his hands as he spun his lightsaber through dizzying spirals and loops, catching every single bolt fired in his direction. He maintained his footing, ceaselessly moving his blade through the defensive patterns he'd trained in since he was a boy. Obi-Wan Kenobi had been one of the greatest masters of Form III-Soresu in the history of the order, and he'd taught his last student everything he knew.

As his shoulders, elbows and wrists whipped his shining blade through almost automatic patterns, Luke's thoughts drifted back to his first teacher. Again, he'd been too slow. Again, he'd been unable to prevent someone he loved from dying at the hands of a Sith. All his training, all his study, all his accomplishments, were _nothing._ He'd failed, again.

Luke struggled to maintain his calm, the serene concentration essential to true mastery of the defensive form. This was _his_ fault. He should have fought harder, been more aware of the situation. He should have held his ground and not allowed himself to be forced away from the ship, where Jacen lay helplessly unconscious. He should not have allowed Qeris to go by herself to attempt to learn where Jacen was being held. They were dead now, and it was all his fault.

He felt Mara brush his mind momentarily, and like a splash of cold water, this washed away his despair. Luke realized that the dark version of his sister who ruled this Empire was as equally talented in Battle Meditation as the Leia he knew, and had been employing it against him, twisting his own thoughts back on him in an attempt to disrupt his concentration.

Determination renewed, Luke continued to defend against the ever-increasing crowd of stormtroopers pouring into the hangar bay. He sensed Mara moving to his side, spinning her magenta blade through blaster-deflection patterns, and he reached out to her with the Force, harmonizing his movements with hers so that they each reinforced the other.

Together, they used their grief as a shield, turning it instead to resolve as they defended their ship. Their blades moved faster and faster as each sense ratcheted up to hyper-awareness, their focus narrowing with super-human concentration to the most immediate threats to themselves or the ship. Bodies of white-armored troopers littered the deck, scattered among the wreckage in the hangar bay, but still more came, an unrelenting, single-minded swarm of grim lethal force.

A disturbance arose at the back of the crowd, a hum and spark and crash of multiple lightsabers. Luke relaxed his concentration slightly for a split-second, noting the two dark figures who wielded blades of blue, red, and deep steel-gray, smashing their way through the rear of the stormtroopers' formation. Powerful telekinetic waves erupted from the two men, scattering armored troopers like leaves in a strong wind.

Revan, wearing a gray and red armored mask, his black hood up to completely cover the rest of his head, paused for a moment in the entryway of the hangar, sizing up the situation. Nearly all of the stormtroopers turned in his direction, raising their blaster rifles, and a moment later, fired.

The Jedi Master's dual blades whirled through spirals of red and blue light almost too fast to follow as he deflected their fire, and then he exploded into movement, scything through the armored ranks like a thresher through a field of grain. Stormtroopers fell all around him, eerily silent. Only the stink of burned flesh gave indication that they were indeed human.

A few steps behind him came the ebon titan Darth Vader, his deep mechanical breathing grimly regular as he surged through the crowd, dealing out heavy, smashing blows with his steel-gray blade. Force Lightning coruscated from his fingertips, wreathing the remaining stormtroopers in light, and they collapsed to the deck in near-synchronization.

"Get inside the ship," Vader ordered, shutting down his lightsaber and withdrawing a small black cylinder from a compartment on his belt. With his other hand, he gestured quickly toward the hangar bay doors, and they slowly rumbled closed.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked curiously.

"We've been planting charges in power relays," Revan answered, his voice rendered oddly flat by his mask. "We're going to knock out the power to this entire section."

"What about that other Death Star and the rest of the fleet?" Mara asked as they jogged up to the cockpit.

Revan slid into the copilot's seat and thrust a datacard into the reader there. Artoo, who was in the astromech socket between the pilot and copilot's seats, whistled and beeped, his computer probe turning rapidly.

"We're going to do a micro-jump straight 'up' once we clear the station," the Jedi Master said, adjusting controls. "While Vader deactivated the tractor beam, I sliced into the sensor array and got the positions of all the other ships out there. Artoo here will use that data to plot us a quick micro-jump a few light-minutes away from the fleet, and then a series of random jumps to make sure they don't follow us before we head for Lehon."

"After the first few jumps, we will search for a homing beacon or other tracking device," Vader rumbled as he entered the cockpit. He quickly removed his helmet with a hiss of releasing pressure and handed it to Luke, his lined features set into angry resolve. "It's what I would have done in the Empress' position."

Moments after he finished speaking, Luke heard a staccato series of muffled explosions. Suddenly, the hangar went dark around them and he felt a sense of motion in his stomach as even the artificial gravity was cut off. The ship and the debris lifted free of the hangar deck, several jagged chunks of wreckage flashing off of their shields as they drifted towards the yawning opening.

Vader gunned the engines and soared out of the hangar, pulling the ship straight 'up' and accelerating until the whole vessel rattled, something behind them whining ominously. Turbolasers spat green fire behind them, but the emplacements were too far away and the _Hawk_ was going too fast for the bolts to come anywhere near them.

The gray contours of the Death Star whipped past below them for several tense moments before finally they were in open space above the gigantic station. Artoo bleeped, and Vader threw the hyperspace lever, holding it for ten seconds before pulling back.

Streaks of light faded back into star-specked space, and as the ship turned, Luke could see the ringed gas giant far below them, along with its two artificial moons and the faint specks of the fleet. He could see flashes of turbolasers below them, indicating the battle was still raging. Luke had no idea who the Empress' forces were fighting or why they were in this particular system, but at the moment he did not care.

"What am I going to tell Leia?" he murmured morosely, resting his forehead in his hand.

"There must have been _something_ we could have done," Mara said heatedly. "If we'd stormed the detention center like _I_ wanted to-"

"We would have gotten them killed faster," Vader snapped without looking at her, punching controls as he prepared for the next jump. "There was nothing we could have done in the time we had. This… _Empress _is too powerful, too capricious." He turned to look back at her, grief mingled with rage in his expression. "When I have the time to prepare a strategy, I _will_ return and destroy her myself."

"If I don't get there first," Mara said coldly, leaning back in her seat.

"She was never going to spare them," Revan said quietly, looking down at his console as he adjusted controls. "I was tracking her with the Force from the moment we were brought aboard, and she never moved more than a few dozen meters from one particular area. She was always going to kill them if we got anywhere near her." Luke heard the quiet hiss of exhaled breath through the filter of the mask. "I should have realized she was staying near Jacen and Qeris, to overwhelm their sense in the Force with her own so that we couldn't figure out exactly where they were."

"The failure is equally mine," Vader said, pushing the hyperdrive lever forward again. "I, too should have deduced her strategy." He sighed. "Vengeance will have to wait. We must investigate the Star Forge. If it still exists, we may be able to turn its power against her before we bring it back to our own universe."

Though he knew he should have, Luke was too upset to disagree.

* * *

><p>As the <em>Executor<em> hurtled through hyperspace, Jaina paced restlessly through the engineering workshop where she waited for the automated machines to finish fabricating the final pieces of her armor. She was dressed in a plain black body glove, her long hair bound back into a single braid, tucked into her collar.

While she waited, she experimented with one of her armored, mottled black-and-gray gauntlets, which was designed to spring her lightsaber up into her hand when she twisted her forearm and wrist a certain way. Over and over, she activated the spring and then pushed her lightsaber back into the clasps, practicing until it became second nature.

In the back of her mind, Jaina felt a nagging unease, one that had been there since Jacen had left but was now even more insistent. From birth, she'd always been able to sense her twin in the Force no matter how far away he was, a constant, comforting presence in her mind. Now he was gone, off on his own mission, but beyond that, something just felt _wrong_ about his absence. She couldn't shake the vague, indistinct feeling that Jacen was somehow in trouble, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She was his big sister - if only by five minutes or so - and not being able to help him left her unsettled. Jaina frowned to herself; it was probably just nerves, anyway.

Whirring and clanking preceded the arrival of the rest of her armor on the conveyor belt along the back wall of the workshop. She crossed to the conveyor, lightly brushing her fingers over the black and gray-patterned armor, specially coated to be non-reflective and give off almost no thermal signature. The overall design was based on commando armor, but Jaina had added her own special modifications.

First she put on the knee-high boots, made of tough synthetic leather fitted with hinged plasteel plates, the soles equipped with small repulsors to aid in jumping. She took a few experimental running steps, then leaped, allowing the repulsors to kick in and propel her up to the high ceiling of the workshop, where she grasped hold of the lower edge of one of the overhead beams and hung there for a moment before dropping. Again, the repulsors kicked in just enough to slow her descent, and she landed lightly on the balls of her feet before hurling herself into a tight back-flip. She activated the repulsors again in mid-air, sending herself rocketing toward the far wall.

Jaina stretched out her left leg as she approached the wall and fired the boot repulsors, slowing herself down and then coming to a slow hovering stop. She cut the thrust and dropped to the deck, grinning to herself in satisfaction.

Next came the knee and thigh plates, into which were integrated additional compact power cells which ran her suit's various electronic systems. The flexible stomach plates were designed more for maneuverability than direct protection, but the engineers assured her they could still deflect glancing blows. Above this, the jointed chest and back-plates, which concealed and protected yet more power cells and electronic systems. Lastly, the other gauntlet, arm plates, and rounded pauldrons. She left the helmet on the conveyor for now.

Jaina flexed and stretched her shoulders and torso inside the armor, testing the limits of its flexibility. She'd emphasized maneuverability above all else in the design, knowing she would have to be highly mobile during battle. Decades ago, some Jedi had worn a modified version of trooper armor in especially pitched battles of the Clone Wars, and she'd partially based her design on what she could find of those and other versions of armor Jedi had used in the past.

Finally, she picked up the compact helmet, looking at its curved black faceplate for a moment. She'd opted to go for a smooth, featureless design instead of the skull-like helmets of the stormtroopers or the death's-head of her grandfather's armor, preferring camouflage to intimidation. The air-filtration systems in her armor were deliberately as quiet as possible, as opposed to the loud unnerving rasp of Darth Vader's armor.

She fit the helmet over her head and onto the armored collar, adjusting a switch on her neck so that the helmet clicked into place and the suit pressurized with a quiet whining hiss. The suit could briefly sustain her in full vacuum, and offered protection against a wide variety in temperature and conditions, everything from frigid tundra to humid swamp to baking desert.

Jaina cycled through the various visor filters, ranging from green-tinted low-light enhancement to full thermal imaging, all of which featured a tactical display which could be attuned to the systems of other suits of armor, showing identification and vital statistics. At the upper-right corner of her HUD was a motion tracker, which registered someone on approach.

Colonel LaRone walked into the workshop, dressed in his usual black uniform and polished boots. He ran an appraising eye over her armor briefly, then met her eyes with a tight, approving smile. "Very impressive, Knight Solo."

"Thank you, Colonel," Jaina replied, hearing the flat, distorted tones of her own voice through the helmet. "I'm sure I still have a few modifications left, but I'm fairly satisfied with it overall." She reached up and removed her helmet, holding it at her side under one arm.

"You're going to get a chance to test it out in combat very soon," LaRone said gravely. "The last transmission we received from Dubrillion said the Vong have already begun landing. Administrator Calrissian started to evacuate, but the Vong shot down the first few ships, so he's holed up in the capital, preparing for a siege."

"How did the Vong get past the Republic patrols?" Jaina asked.

"We think they set up a base in the Helska system, not far from Belkadan," LaRone replied. "Grand Admiral Thrawn thinks they might have used the battles at Belkadan and Arctriel as a distraction to slip another fleet past our forces and into Helska."

"Arctriel?" Jaina inquired curiously.

"The system in the Unknown Regions where your group found the Rakatan Generator," LaRone clarified. "Danni Quee and her team found the proper name in the temple's computer a short time ago."

"So what kind of numbers are we looking at?" Jaina asked.

LaRone frowned slightly. "Calrissian estimates at least twenty Destroyer-analogues, maybe thirty frigates and other support ships, and hundreds of fighters. They surrounded the planet quickly, but seem to be focusing on a ground invasion rather than an orbital bombardment."

"They want Dubrillion as another base," Jaina said grimly.

LaRone nodded once. "From there, they can strike out at the whole Myto sector and beyond."

He said something else, but Jaina did not hear him, for a great roaring tide of terrified voices crashed over her through the Force, screaming in pain and horror before being suddenly, brutally cut short.

She felt a hand on her arm, and looked up to see LaRone looking at her concernedly. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's happened again," Jaina said, a queasy feeling wrapping around her stomach. "Whatever happened to Sernpidal, it's happened again, somewhere else. Somewhere farther away." She felt a line of dampness on her cheek, and reached up to swipe it away with a gloved hand. "I think it was more people this time," she said softly, barely above a whisper.

LaRone's expression hardened. "I'll see what I can find out," he said, turning crisply on his heel. She could sense his anger that this had happened again without warning, that someone was taking advantage of the chaos created by the Vong invasion to further their own dark agenda.

Jaina drew in a deep, calming breath, centering herself. She was a Jedi Knight now, she reminded herself, on her own vital mission. This new development was disturbing, but her responsibility right now was to focus on how to repel the invasion of Dubrillion.

But still her thoughts were stirred into turbulence, and no amount of meditation would calm them.

* * *

><p>Ben Skywalker leaned back into the deep cushions of the couch in the lounge of his family's starship, staring intently at the holographic game board in front of him. The <em>Jade Sabre<em> was quiet as it hurtled through hyperspace, only the low rumble of its powerful engines gently humming through the cabin. Across the board, the green and silver astromech Whistler waited patiently for Ben to make his next move.

His hand froze over the controls as an icy sense of dread shivered down his spine. A moment later, Ben felt a chilling impression of a great multitude of voices screaming in terror and agony, faint and indistinct, as if from a very great distance away.

"Not again," he whispered in horror.

Whistler beeped curiously, but Ben ignored him, focusing instead on the disturbance in the Force. The unsettling vagueness of the impression implied that it was very far away from their current position, headed 'up' and out of the galaxy toward Companion Grek at the _Sabre_'s fastest hyperspace speed.

"Somewhere in the Empire," Anakin's voice said from behind him. Ben glanced back to see his cousin standing in the doorway to the main corridor with an uncharacteristically sober expression on his face, his ice-blue eyes both disturbed and angry. "I think," he amended.

Ben nodded silently in reply, also wishing his own senses were better attuned to this sort of thing. His father would probably be able to pinpoint the sector with a map and sufficient concentration.

"You boys sense it, too?" Corran asked, walking into the lounge from the cockpit, frowning beneath his thick brown beard. He sighed, rubbing his thumb and forefinger over the whiskers at the corners of his mouth. "We're way out of communications range now; we'll have to wait until we get back to find out what happened."

"I hate this," Anakin murmured tightly, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I want to do something about this… but I can't."

"I know _exactly_ how you feel," Corran said, laying a hand on his apprentice's shoulder in solidarity. He looked up as the lounge's console beeped, and he briefly squeezed Anakin's shoulder before turning to go back to the cockpit. "Time to drop out and plot our next jump. Come on, Whistler; I'm going to need your help with the calculations."

The astromech trundled after his master into the cockpit, but both Ben and Anakin remained behind in the lounge. Ben took his lightsaber from his belt and absently turned it through his hands as he often had with his original weapon when he was thinking.

"Do you sense it?" Anakin asked after a few moments of silence.

Ben looked up at him, frowning slightly in confusion. "Sense what?" he asked, knowing Anakin meant something other than the disturbance in the Force.

Anakin frowned himself as he concentrated, his hands clenching over the back of the couch. "A… power," he said slowly, trying to articulate the indistinct impressions he sensed. "Dark power… angry."

As his cousin spoke, Ben finally sensed it himself, a tiny echo in the background, almost hidden by the pain and fear still reverberating through the Force; a kernel of black hatred and madness, simmering in alarming power.

Suddenly that dark presence shifted, as if it had sensed their awareness of it, and Ben's eyes widened as he sensed the dark presence searching for _them_.

"Ben!" Anakin said in alarm, having sensed it, also.

_Your power is indeed great_, a raspy, slightly echoing voice 'said' to them through the Force. _You are your grandfather's heirs. His strength is your own._

"Push him away!" Anakin grunted, straining against the dark presence.

"I'm trying!" Ben gasped, feeling like an incredibly strong hand was squeezing his mind.

_You would both survive the Fire, and emerge from the crucible more powerful than you have ever imagined,_ the deep, raspy voice went on. _Together, we could ignite a purging blaze strong enough to cleanse this galaxy, to leave it fresh and clean for renewal._

Ben groaned with effort as he struggled to escape the agonizing grasp, pouring all the concentration he could muster into fending off the mental assault. He hadn't even realized he'd closed his eyes until he heard rapid footsteps over the lounge's carpet and sensed Jenn approaching, then felt her hand on his shoulder. As she summoned her own power to his aid, Ben felt the dark presence lessen, then slowly fade away, leaving him drained and panting, slumped against the back of the couch.

He opened his eyes to see Jenn standing over him, looking down at him in concern and periodically glancing over to Anakin. "I should have figured he'd come after you two next," she said grimly.

"Who?" Anakin asked, leaning heavily against the back of the couch.

"This 'Burned Lord' leading the fire cult," Jenn replied, sweeping the fingers of one hand back through her light brown hair, pushing it away from her face. "He or one of his followers contacted me back on Yotuunhym, though they didn't try anything like that. You boys all right?"

Ben nodded once, trying to dismiss his lingering revulsion. Anakin lowered himself onto the other end of the couch, also nodding once. The deck shifted fractionally with acceleration as the ship jumped to lightspeed again, then the cockpit door whooshed open and Corran came back into the lounge, his expression alarmed.

"What was that?" he asked, looking over at the three of them.

"This fire cult is up to something," Jenn answered, gesturing to Ben and Anakin. "Their leader contacted these two with the Force somehow."

"Well, we'll be in hyperspace for a day or so, so it shouldn't happen again," Corran said. He sighed briefly. "I hope Leia figures out what's going on with this cult soon. This has officially gone past odd into downright disturbing."

"It was like he was trying to look into my mind," Anakin said quietly, staring at the tabletop. "I think I managed to fight him off, but…" He trailed off with a slight shudder.

"Hopefully he won't bother us again," Jenn said, her lips flattening into a wary line. "We'll have enough to worry about when we finally get to Grek."

"I have a _bad_ feeling about this," said Ben.

* * *

><p>Revan took the <em>Argent Hawk<em> out of hyperspace near the fifth planet of the Lehon system, farther out than Luke had expected. He started to ask why, but then he saw it:

The system's sun had what appeared to be a slender, elongated solar flare stretching high above itself, far too regular and stable to be natural. At this distance, Luke could not make out what was at the point of the enormous ribbon of plasma, but he could guess.

"The Star Forge is here, all right," Revan said, dark eyes locked on the system's sun. "And it's active, too."

"Meaning?" Mara asked, leaning forward in her seat behind him.

"Meaning someone's using it," Revan replied gravely. "I can sense it."

"One of the Empress' cronies?" Mara guessed.

"No," Luke said, now sensing the ripples in the Force created by the station himself. "If Lady Vader knew about this, she wouldn't have left it here. She appears to be too fond of superweapons to leave something like this sitting out here in the Unknown Regions."

"She may be looking for it, however," came Vader's voice from the rear of the cockpit. Luke glanced back to see his father standing there, still wearing his armor except for the helmet. "That may have been the purpose of the battle we encountered," Vader went on. "She and her opponents may have been fighting over the facility on the moon, hoping to use it to locate surviving Rakatan installations."

"Makes sense to me," Revan said absently, still staring at the thin ribbon of plasma stretching up from the star. His fingers tapped at his console for a moment, then he gestured to the fourth planet of the system on the monitor. "The disruptor field is still active," he murmured. "Interesting."

"Let me guess," said Mara. "If we go anywhere near the Star Forge, it disables the ship somehow?"

Revan glanced back at her. "Right. Both times I came to investigate this system, it fried my ship's systems and made us crash on the planet Lehon. Malak and I worked out a way to shield ships from the effect, but we don't have the parts to do it to the _Hawk_."

"So what should we-" Luke began to ask, but stopped as he noticed the readings change on the long-range sensor monitor.

Revan followed his gaze, and his dark brows rose in surprise. "Now it's off."

"Somebody deactivated it?" Mara asked curiously. She looked over at Luke. "What do you think? Preparation for an attack, or an invitation to come on in?"

Luke could only shrug, unsure.

"I sense something," Vader said slowly, staring intently at the stream of plasma leading up to the Star Forge. "A… presence."

"Someone Force-sensitive is in control of the station," Revan agreed. "And they know we're here."

"Ships are launching from the station," Luke observed, looking at the monitors. He looked up at Revan. "They'll be in range in just a few minutes. Do we leave, or see what they want?"

Revan stroked one side of his mustache with a finger as he thought for a few seconds. "We stay here," he said. "But raise the shields and keep the weapons on standby. We'll let them come to us, and if they attack, we run for it." He glanced over at Luke. "What's the configuration on those ships?"

"Not one I recognize," Luke answered, looking down at the sensors again. "They're roughly fighter-sized."

Revan punched up the readings on his own monitors. "Sith interceptors." He glanced up at Luke again. "They seem to be of the same model I designed back in my own time, manufactured with the Star Forge." His mouth set into a hard line beneath his beard. "Your modern laser cannons should have no trouble eliminating them."

The four of them waited in silence for several minutes, waiting to see what would happen. Finally the comm beeped, and Revan reached over to answer it.

A male, human-sounding voice said something in an unfamiliar language, and Revan frowned, obviously recognizing it, but he replied in Basic, asking the approaching ships if they spoke that language.

"_We do,_" the man said. "_The High Priestess of the Mother has directed that we bring you aboard the Holy Forge, so in her name we greet you. We will escort you to her._"

Mara's brows rose slightly. _Mother?_ she mouthed silently to Luke.

He mirrored her expression, mouthing back, _Holy Forge?_

"We'll follow you in, then," Revan said, adjusting their course as the fighters came into visual range, small compact cockpits between angular forward-sweeping wings. As he cut the transmission, Revan looked over his shoulder at Mara and Vader behind her. "Odd. He was speaking Rakatan in his initial transmission, but they are all definitely human."

"Was that not once the homeworld of the Rakata species?" Vader asked, gesturing at the cloud-streaked blue-green sphere of Lehon as they flew past it.

"It was," Revan said, looking down at his sensor monitors again. "I'm not picking up any technology apart from the temple that generates the disruptor field, though. In fact…" He lapsed into silence for a moment, studying the readings. "It must have happened a long time ago, but it looks to me like someone bombed Lehon from orbit once. It doesn't look like there's any civilization on the planet at all."

Luke could plainly sense the ancient Jedi Master was troubled by the various clues they'd found since arriving in this universe.

"What happened here?" Revan half-whispered to himself.

* * *

><p>A hammer blow of frigid water slammed him out of unconsciousness. He gasped and sputtered, wiping the water off of his face with one hand, and slowly blinked, looking up at the all-too-familiar silhouette in a rectangle of harsh white light.<p>

Jacen tried to summon the Force to push away his aches and help him regain his bearings, but was blurrily surprised to find that he could not.

The Force was gone. It was like going blind and deaf and losing his limbs all at once; a comforting sense he'd had his entire life was suddenly gone without warning, leaving only a dull ache behind.

"We'll not have a repeat of that little incident from before," Lady Vader's darkly cultured voice said from the doorway of the cell. "The Force is quite beyond your reach for the moment."

"What…" Jacen slurred out before coughing and licking painfully dry lips. "What have you done to me?"

Lady Vader's subtly glowing acid-yellow eyes gleamed within her dark silhouette. "Nothing permanent," she said with mocking reassurance. "Your group of ghosts have fled the station, and I have ensured they have no reason to return. As far as they know, you are dead."

"They'll come back for me," Jacen said with weary defiance.

"No, they will not," the Empress replied with malicious amusement. "No one is coming back to rescue you. You are quite alone here, completely at my mercy." She took a few slow steps forward, so that he could see the dim outline of her disturbingly familiar features, and smirked cruelly. "After a period of… conditioning, you will be made to serve me. I shall take great pleasure in turning one of your power to the Dark Side."

"I will _never_ fall to the Dark Side," Jacen hissed up at her. "You might as well just kill me right now."

An expression of sadistic, mocking pity settled over her features. "Oh, you _will_ wish for death, my young Jedi. But I will not give it to you, not yet." She leaned down and looked him in the eye, a feral grin spreading across her face with a matching gleam in her acidic yellow eyes as she brushed his chin with the tips of her fingernails. "We're going to have a bit of fun first, you and I."

Then she turned and left, the door slammed closed, and he was alone in the dark once more.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	16. Slip to the Void

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Sixteen<strong>  
>(Slip to the Void)<p>

When Jacen finally regained consciousness again, he felt slender fingers touching his cheek, and he flinched away from the touch, blindly striking out with his hands. A strong but gentle hand caught his wrist, and he heard a woman's voice saying his name.

He opened his eyes, tensing, and saw sea-green eyes looking back at him from within a mass of tangled black hair, filled with concern and sympathy.

"Qeris?" he croaked out, his throat achingly dry. He felt waves of pain radiating out from a multitude of other places on his body, until it felt like there was no part of him that did not hurt. "What's going on?"

"A question I have asked myself many times over the last few days," she replied, her lilting accent reassuring after the half-remembered bouts of blinding pain and cruelly mocking laughter spinning through his mind. She shrugged, still wearing his borrowed tunic. "I cannot guess at this dark woman's plans."

Qeris reached forward, a metal cup in her hand, and he felt blessedly cool water touch his lips. He drank slowly, struggling to remember his survival training. Without the Force, it was practically all he had left.

"They've left us here alone for most of a day, by my estimation," Qeris said. She frowned slightly. "Though it is hard to judge time in this place, especially without the Force."

Jacen grimaced as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, resting the back of his shoulders on the cold metal wall behind him. "Any guesses as to how she's doing that?" he asked, accepting the cup from her, then taking another drink.

"I do not believe it to be the result of drugs," Qeris replied. "There are rumors of a planet within Republic space that is home to creatures which are able to push back the Force in small areas. Perhaps that is how she is doing this."

"Myrkr," Jacen said in a half-grunt, rubbing at an ache in his shoulder. "I know the planet. It used to be a favored hideout for smugglers and pirates because of the ysalamiri, the creatures you mentioned." He squinted up at the ceiling of the dark metal-walled cell, looking at the small glowpanel there. "Are we still in that same cell we tried to break out of?"

Qeris shook her head, the long tangles of her black hair shifting with the movement. "I do not think so. I believe we were moved elsewhere at some point."

"Imperial architecture all looks the same to me," Jacen said half-jokingly.

Qeris gave him a wry smile. "Your spirit is admirable," she said. "I'm not sure I could manage the same under similar treatment."

Jacen raised his brows, suppressing a groan when even this hurt, too. "Lady Vader hasn't been paying you little visits?"

She shook her head again. "They mostly left me alone in my cell after we were separated. Occasionally, they would hit me with those water streams, but otherwise I saw no sign of my captors except once, when they provided what I can only assume was supposed to have been a meal."

"Worse than military rations? I didn't think that was possible." Jacen quipped.

"It is," Qeris replied with a slight trace of amusement. "I could hardly believe it myself." Her expression faded back into seriousness again. "They must have moved one of us while we were asleep, because when I awoke earlier today you were here. I've been waiting for you to wake up for hours."

"Maybe Lady Vader wants us to try and escape for her amusement again," Jacen muttered darkly. "I hope you're not offended when I say I don't feel like it at the moment." He ran his fingers down his cheeks and chin, feeling at least two or three days' worth of stubble there.

"I've found only one exit," Qeris said, gesturing to the cell door. "It is of course securely locked from the outside, and without the Force I can do nothing about that." She gestured to the corner opposite the one where they sat. "That hole in the floor over there is what passes for a 'fresher, and the pipe is far too small to attempt to squeeze through."

Jacen curled his lip in faint disgust. "You were actually considering trying that?"

Qeris shrugged. "General Katarn has always emphasized exploring _all_ possible avenues of escape when imprisoned, no matter how… distasteful."

Jacen shrugged himself, taking another swig of water. "Pragmatic, I guess."

They lapsed into companionable silence for a short time, sitting next to one another against the back wall of the cell. Jacen mostly tried to run through meditation exercises to organize his thoughts, though they were less effective than usual in his present circumstances.

He shifted in light surprise as Qeris leaned over and placed her hand on his shoulder, but realized her intent when she brought her lips up to his ear. "I do not believe there are recording devices in this cell," she whispered very faintly, her breath warm against his ear, "but we should still be cautious. Mention nothing of our mission."

Jacen nodded silently, glancing over at her, then leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "So you were raised on Coruscant?" he asked.

"Mmm?"

He opened one eye, looking over at her. "I don't know why they stuck us in the same cell, but as long as we're here, we might as well talk to pass the time."

She shrugged amiably, a strangely graceful movement. "My parents were attending university on Coruscant during the war. When the situation stabilized, they decided to stay there, since they had married by that time."

He rested his head back against the wall, folding his hands over his stomach. "Any siblings?"

"My younger sister Talia, named after an ancient queen of Onderon." She paused. "I am named after my paternal great-grandmother, by the way, who was quite a remarkable woman."

"My sister and I were named after members of my father's family, too," Jacen said. "My younger brother was named after my mother's father, obviously."

"I confess I am a bit curious about that," Qeris said. "Your parents don't seem to get along with your grandfather very well."

"Well, he did torture and attempt to kill both of them a few times," Jacen said wryly. He allowed the humor to fade from his voice. "It was my grandmother's suggestion. She and my mother have both explained it as honoring the hero he once was, before he became… whatever he is now."

"Your grandfather is still seen as somewhat of a hero in the Empire," Qeris said cautiously, as if unsure what he would think of this. "Despite his methods, he did manage to bring a measure of peace back to the galaxy after the turmoil of the Clone Wars."

"Yeah, and he only had to brutally conquer a few hundred planets and exterminate a couple sentient species to do it," Jacen said bitterly. He sighed, opening his eyes to look over at her. "Sorry. He's a bit of a touchy subject with us, especially since he's still so…"

"Inscrutable?" Qeris offered.

Jacen let out a short, humorless laugh. "I was going to say 'confusing', but that works, too."

"You are very much like him," she said. "In regards to his spirit, his strength of will," she amended quickly when he raised an eyebrow. "Like him, you do not break easily."

He scoffed. "Yeah, well… Lady Vader's got all the time in the universe to figure out a way. They think we're dead, and they're not coming back for us."

"Then we'll just have to figure out a way to escape on our own," Qeris snapped. "I refuse to give up."

"I ain't giving up yet either, sister," Jacen shot back. "I'm just being realistic about our circumstances. If your vaunted General Katarn has trained you in how to escape a situation this hopeless, then I am all ears."

He could see irritation beneath her professional calm, hints of which made it through in her tone. "You are frustrated and in pain," she said coldly, "so I will excuse you this time. But you will _not_ disrespect the General again. He is a great man, and you know nothing of him."

Jacen's ire softened at this. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

The annoyance faded from Qeris' expression. "As I said, I understand."

Again, they lapsed into a companionable silence, one which lasted quite some time.

* * *

><p>The door to their cell whooshed open, and Jacen heard the click of heels approaching along the corridor outside. He tensed, trying to summon whatever strength he had left in preparation for yet another round of torture.<p>

As expected, when he opened his eyes he saw a pair of stormtroopers standing in the doorway of the cell, their blaster rifles aimed squarely at him.

At _him_, Jacen realized, not Qeris. Though she was sitting right next to him, her muscles similarly tensed, the troopers were ignoring her entirely. Jacen had little time to puzzle over this, for the precise, measured click of heels drew closer and closer, and soon Lady Vader was once again standing in the doorway of his cell, a disturbingly satisfied smile on her face.

Today she wore another of her low-cut, opulent red gowns, this one the bright arterial red of freshly spilled blood, with a fluttering cape of some light pink material clasped at her left shoulder with an aurodium brooch engraved with the Imperial symbol. She wore her long dark brown hair in twin looping braids, a style his mother often used, and Jacen suppressed a shudder, reminding himself over and over again within his mind that this was _not_ his mother.

"Most interesting," Lady Vader said, planting her hands on her hips and slightly raising one impeccably groomed eyebrow. "It appears that when you called me mother in our first meeting, you were truthful. I had a full DNA analysis run on you, young Jedi, and you are indeed my son. Grand Admiral Solo will likely be rather embarrassed to learn you are his child as well."

Jacen said nothing, fixing his face firmly into a stony, silent glare.

"You are not a clone," the Empress went on, "nor does your DNA bear any other marks of genetic manipulation. You are a fully natural human - odd as that may be, since I have never had any children, least of all with the Grand Admiral." She stared at him in fascination. "Most interesting," she said again.

Jacen looked down at his feet, but Lady Vader surprised him by darting forward and seizing his chin with one sharp-nailed hand.

"You will look at me when I am speaking to you," she said in a low, vicious hiss, her subtly glowing eyes flaring slightly brighter in anger.

Jacen met her gaze again, willing himself to remain calm. He knew the ysalamiri - if that was indeed what she was using against him - affected Lady Vader just as much as himself, so at least she could not use the Force against him in here.

She slowly straightened, the hem of her light cape fluttering out to rest over the top of his legs. "I can see it," she said softly. "Even without the tests, I can see that you are the heir to my father's legacy. With proper training, you could take your place at my side to carry on his grand plan for the galaxy. Darth Vader's power, his spirit, is within you, my young Jedi."

At his side, Jacen felt Qeris suppress a flinch at having her words unknowingly echoed.

Lady Vader's wine-dark lips quirked in a sneer. "But I suppose you are foolishly idealistic like my brother, your mind similarly poisoned with the weak philosophies of the Jedi. It would be a pity if I had to destroy you as well." She paused, looking off into the middle distance as if lost in memory. "Unfortunately for Luke, my father did not find him at a young age, as he did me. We were both unaware of his existence until he joined the Rebellion, actually."

A slow frown drew across her cruelly elegant features. "He and my father fought for so long," she said softly, more to herself than to the two of them. "I sensed their battle, tried to go there to help my father, but I was too late. Luke managed to kill Father as I arrived, just barely too late to stop him. I took great pleasure in torturing him to death for that."

Lady Vader looked back down at Jacen, her lips again shifting into an unpleasant smile. "That is a lesson you will learn, my young Jedi. The Dark Side has always been more powerful, and cannot be overcome by your Light. You will join me or you will die screaming as my brother did."

"I said it before, and I will say it again," Jacen said hotly, putting as much fire into his tone as he could, "you should just kill me now. I will _never_ join you."

Lady Vader merely stared placidly down at him, unperturbed. "We shall see."

She snapped her fingers, and the stormtroopers moved into the cell to roughly haul Jacen to his feet. They pushed him back into the corner, raising his hands to about the level of his eyes, and thick metal restraints swiveled out of the walls to secure his wrists. A similar pair of restraints encircled his ankles, and lastly, one more curved out across his hips, securing him to the corner.

Lady Vader paused for a moment, staring down at her long, sharp fingernails, which were painted the same bright red at her gown, and took one long step backward. Jacen noticed Qeris' eyes widen suddenly, and she looked down at her hands, but before he could guess or ask why, the Empress spoke.

"I will ask you questions now," she said, fiery yellow eyes flicking to Qeris, "and if you lie, or refuse to answer…"

One hand snaked out and cast forth a bright purple-blue bolt of Force Lightning, which slammed into Qeris with such force that it knocked her sprawling across the floor of the cell, driving her into the other corner of the back wall. Jacen gritted his teeth, wincing as her screams sliced into his ears.

Just as abruptly as it had begun, the assault ceased, leaving Qeris in a crumpled heap in the corner, her tunic smoking in several places and a number of angry red burns on her bare legs.

"Why don't you try that on me, or are you afraid I'll knock you on your ass again?" Jacen taunted, straining to touch his power but feeling only its continued absence.

Lady Vader turned and wordlessly sent more bolts of blue lightning twitching out at him. Jacen braced himself, grimacing, but noted with surprise that the lightning stopped just in front of him, tracing out an invisible curve covering him from head to foot.

"For now, your power is far too great to risk allowing you access to it," the Empress said calmly. "This will serve as sufficient motivation, I think." Smirking viciously, she sent another bolt into Qeris, who again screamed in pain.

Jacen struggled to keep himself calm.

"Tell her… nothing," Qeris strained out, her voice thick with agony.

"Shut up," Lady Vader snapped contemptuously, and shocked her again. She turned to Jacen. "Where do you come from? Who were the others with you?"

Though it pained him, Jacen did not answer, and forced himself to remain silent as the Empress once again sent a punishing storm of Force Lightning into Qeris.

"What were you doing in that temple my men found?"

Again, silence. Again, loud electrical crackling mixed with screams.

"Where do you come from? Who were the others with you?"

Silence. Screams.

"What were you doing in that temple?"

Silence. Screams.

"Where do you come from? Who were the others with you?"

Silence. Screams.

"What were you doing in that temple?"

Silence. Screams.

Jacen's teeth were clenched so hard his jaw ached, his entire body trembling from exhaustion and desperation. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, fighting back tears.

He felt a sharp-nailed hand slap him across the face, hard enough to jolt his head into the wall next to him.

"YOU!" Slap. "WILL!" Slap. "LOOK!" Slap. "AT!" Slap. "ME!"

His cheeks throbbed, and a number of thin cuts burned where her nails had broken the skin. Jacen forced himself to open his eyes, wincing as the salt in his tears burned in the cuts on his chin, and met the acidic yellow gaze of Lady Vader.

Still staring into his eyes, the Empress reached out with one hand and sent another bolt of lightning into Qeris, this one brighter than the others, and the young woman screamed until her voice gave out, breaking into a wordless, inhuman howl. When the Empress finally ceased, Qeris slumped on the floor, shuddering, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"As you listen to her whimpers," Lady Vader hissed, "think on this: I will do this every single day until you tell me what I want to know. You cannot break free of this cell, and your allies are not coming back to rescue you. Your _only_ options are to submit or to watch her die, then die in agony yourself."

She turned and stalked out of the cell, the click of her heels maddeningly precise and regular as she walked down the corridor, before the sound was cut off by the cell door slamming shut.

"I'm sorry," Jacen sobbed, shaking. "I'm so sorry."

"Do not… apologize," Qeris panted between shuddering breaths. "My pain is… nothing. Do not let her break you." She slowly pulled herself up to lean back into the corner, then pushed the tangled mass of her hair aside with one hand and met his gaze, her sea-green eyes filled with determination. "Do not submit. Even if she kills me, do not submit. You must endure."

"I don't know if I can," he said in a ragged whisper.

"You must," she whispered back. "You must."

* * *

><p>Jacen had lost all track of time, hanging limply against his restraints in a haze of misery, when he heard the door slide open again and heard a heavier tread approaching. He could not even bring himself to look up, so all he saw were the tips of polished black boots entering his field of vision.<p>

"So you're the Jedi the Empress captured," a male voice said, achingly familiar and yet disturbingly cold.

With great effort, Jacen lifted his head and looked up, running his eyes up a spotless white uniform complete with gold-colored epaulets to another face he knew and yet did not know at all.

A complete stranger with his father's face looked back at him, mouth set in a hard, grim line, his hands clasped behind his back in rigidly militaristic posture. His graying brown hair was cut in a short, perfectly trimmed military style, and his eyes were steely and cold, utterly devoid of any trace of warmth or humor.

"How did the Rebel scum get my genetic sample?" Grand Admiral Solo demanded, his voice clipped with a cultured Coruscanti accent rather than the Corellian drawl Jacen was used to. "How did they get one from the Empress? And why," he said, voice dripping with revulsion, "did they use them to make _you_, freak?"

Jacen said nothing.

The Grand Admiral fixed him with a look of pure disgust, one that cut Jacen deeply despite his attempts to remind himself that this was not his father. Without another word, the man turned and left, and the door slammed closed again.

Abruptly, Jacen's restraints opened, and he collapsed to the cold metal floor, unable to summon the strength to move. He was tired, so tired, and feeling drained to the depths of his soul. He had no idea how much longer he could last. One part of him wanted to stubbornly resist to the bitter end, and another part pleaded to just give up now, to accept whatever fate the Empress was preparing if only to make the agony - physical and emotional - stop.

The Force was still gone, nothing but an aching void in its place. Dully, he thought that this meant there had to be some way of extending the effect across the cell and then retracting it back to the corner when necessary, and that there might be some way to take advantage of this. But he couldn't maintain the concentration to formulate any kind of plan, and could only lay there on the floor, breathing heavily and waiting for the pain to fade.

He felt fingers brush the leg of his trousers, then touch the skin of his ankle. "Jacen," Qeris said, her voice weary but insistent. "Jacen."

"Mmm?" he groaned, unable to articulate anything clearer.

"Tell me of Alderaan," Qeris said.

"What?" Jacen grunted, puzzled.

"I have heard Alderaan is a very beautiful place, but I have never been there," she said. "Describe it to me."

He was too exhausted to argue, so he did. He told her about the peaceful green fields, the forests and their endless variety of fascinating life, and the soaring white mountains, the way the sun turned them the most amazing shade of violet he had ever seen as it set. He told her about the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple, the serene grove where he sometimes went to meditate, the way the branches overhead had grown together into an intricately woven living canopy under which he had spent endless hours, tracing its patterns with his eyes.

As he described his home, he realized Qeris' intent and drew strength from his own words. His home and family, his _real_ family, were waiting for him back where he belonged. If he endured, if he fought with all the stubbornness and strength of will he had inherited from both parents, he would see them again. He could weather this storm. He _could_.

During the course of his descriptions, Jacen had rolled over onto his back, and lay there looking up at the dull gray ceiling and its single harsh glowpanel, trying not to shiver as the cold metal under his back seemed to sap the warmth from his body. He heard the rustle of cloth against the floor, and looked down to see Qeris slowly, painfully moving herself over next to him.

She stopped over him, bracing herself on one arm, her hand next to his head, and gently placed her other hand on his chest, over his heart. Her long hair tickled his shoulders as she held his gaze, silently willing him to maintain his strength.

"Promise me," she said softly. "Promise me you will not let her break you. You will let her kill me first."

"Qeris, I can't…"

"You can and you _will,_" she insisted, a hint of steel entering her voice. Her fingers tensed against his chest. "Promise."

He could only look up into her eyes for a long moment, struggling to find words for what he was feeling. He could see the resolve in her eyes, the determination to lay down everything to keep him from being twisted into some dark mockery of himself, and he had to respect that.

"I… I promise," he said finally, and she gave him a small, grim smile.

She lowered herself down, resting her head on his chest, and curled up against him, placing her arm across his stomach.

Jacen couldn't help himself. He had to say it. "Are you going to get up, or are you just getting comfortable?"

He felt her cheek shift on his chest as she smiled. "I'm quite comfortable, thank you."

And despite the situation, he had to smile, too.

* * *

><p>"Well, isn't this precious?"<p>

The sneering, sardonic voice snapped Jacen out of his light doze, and he felt Qeris' body tense against him as he opened his eyes and looked up.

Lady Vader stood there, dressed in another rich gown so dark red it was almost black, her hair pulled severely back into one long braid. Her fingernails, painted the same dark red as her gown, reflected the light from the overhead glowpanel as she drummed them against her bicep, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Back for more, huh?" Jacen said, not bothering to move. "You Sith have no imagination."

"My men found some interesting things in the temple," the Empress said, ignoring him. "Apparently it was left behind by an ancient pre-Republic civilization, one which managed some remarkable accomplishments with the aid of an impressive stellar factory they constructed, which was strongly infused with the Force."

She slowly walked in a circle around them, her sharp heels clicking against the floor, and paused near their feet.

"Though it attempted to resist me, I wrested the secrets of this Star Forge from the temple's computer," Lady Vader went on. "All except its location. My men are working on it, but I suppose you might know, my young Jedi. Your group is trying to find it, aren't they?"

Jacen smirked. "They're long gone, and the one who knows where it is didn't tell me. Looks like you're out of luck."

Lady Vader mockingly mirrored his expression, darkly amused. "I had hoped you would retain your spirit. It will make it all the more satisfying to break you. You will make a very powerful Sith with proper training."

Jacen injected his tone with dismissive lightness. "Nah. You don't want me as an apprentice. I'd be a terrible Sith."

The Empress strode forward and kicked Qeris' hand off of his chest, then set her foot in its place, the sharp spike of her heel digging painfully into his ribs. "Indeed you would," she said with a malicious smile, leaning down to place her forearm across her knee. "A great and terrible Dark Lord of the Sith, with wrath enough to rend the entire galaxy. You think to hide it from me with your impudence, my young apprentice, but I see the rage within you, the will behind it. You need only let it free, and you will have power beyond anything you have ever dreamed."

Jacen coughed as she shifted more of her weight onto his chest, but struggled to keep himself from grimacing, unwilling to give the dark woman the satisfaction of seeing his pain.

She reached down with her other hand to lightly brush his cheek with the tips of her nails, and he forced himself not to flinch. "Is it not the duty of a mother to see that her children reach their full potential?" she said softly.

"_You_ are _not_ my mother," Jacen said frigidly, his hands clenching into fists.

Lady Vader's only response was to shift her expression into a sinister mockery of a maternal smile. "Your little friend has to leave now," she said with sickening sweetness, snapping her fingers.

A pair of stormtroopers clomped into the cell to drag Qeris away. Her hand squeezed Jacen's for an instant as they hauled her up, her eyes meeting his in an attempt at silent reassurance.

The Empress wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You stink," she said, her lips shifting into another malicious smile as she stepped back. "I think it's time for your bath."

Her heels clicked away, the door slammed shut, and a dozen streams of icy water pounded him from all sides.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay; work got in the way of my writing time for a bit, and I needed to get a ways ahead of what I'm posting again. I've got some really exciting stuff coming up that I can't wait to share with you guys, so expect updates to be quicker this month for sure. :D Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	17. Dark Legacy

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Seventeen<strong>  
>(Dark Legacy)<p>

It wasn't until they drew closer to it that Mara realized just how _huge_ the Star Forge was. Its core was a massive sphere the size of a large moon, set into three immense pylons that trailed down like the tentacles of some monstrous sea creature. One of the pylons was broken off two-thirds of the way down its length, and there were numerous other signs of damage slowly repaired. Beyond the intimidating archaic design of the station, the Star Forge just seemed immeasurably ancient, far older than any other structure Mara had ever seen.

"Don't call me Revan while we're here," the Jedi Master said, swiveling the pilot's chair to look back at her. "At least, not until I know more about these people. Call me… Jolee."

"Jolee?" Mara asked curiously.

The corners of Revan's eyes crinkled as he smiled beneath his dark beard. "I'm old, dammit," he said, imitating the voice of an older man. "I'm allowed to be inscrutable if I want."

Puzzled, Mara drew her brows together. "What?"

Revan waved a hand dismissively. "Inside joke; never mind." He gestured off down the corridor leading from the cockpit. "You'd better go tell the others to keep their lightsabers out of sight, and maybe change into civilian clothes or something. This High Priestess of theirs can probably sense Force-sensitivity, but until that's confirmed I think we should pretend to be smugglers who've gotten lost."

Mara nodded as she stood. "Yeah, I doubt these people are in a hurry to make friends with a bunch of Jedi," she agreed.

She went back to the dormitory where their things were stored, looking for Luke, but he wasn't there. While she was there, she quickly changed into something more suited to a smuggler: a sleeveless black shirt, dark brown trousers with several cargo pockets on the legs, and matching brown dewback-leather boots and long-sleeved jacket. Tucking her lightsaber into an inside pocket of her jacket, Mara next buckled her blaster belt around her hips, securing the tie-down strap around her leg above her knee.

As she walked down the corridor in an imitation of Han Solo's usual swagger, Mara thought that it was fortunate she'd decided to go ahead and bring along the outfit and identification associated with 'Celina Marniss', the identity she used whenever she had to go undercover as someone disreputable. Leia had once guessed on whom 'Celina's' mannerisms were based, and found it highly amusing, though her husband did not.

Mara found Luke and his father in the port-side cargo hold, having a quiet discussion that ceased as soon as she walked in and they both looked over at her. "Revan says we ought to pose as lost smugglers until we know what's going on," she said. She smirked at Luke. "It's too bad we didn't know we were doing this a few days ago. You could have skipped a few shaves and gotten yourself properly scruffy-looking."

Luke just chuckled, though out of the corner of her eye she saw Vader frown. Mara turned to him, running an appraising eye over his silver-trimmed black uniform, cloak, and boots polished to military perfection. "You definitely have to change."

Vader slightly raised one eyebrow. "Do I?" he said flatly.

"We'll stick to clothes for now," Mara said with a lightly impudent smile, knowing her flippancy irritated him. "Shouldn't be too much of a stretch to make you look like a grizzled old ex-soldier." She looked over at Luke. "You'd better pose as our medic. You're too clean and honest-looking to be anything else."

"Thank you," Luke said, amused.

[…]

Ten minutes later, when the _Argent Hawk_ set down in one of the many hangar bays around the Star Forge's equator, the four of them gathered by the boarding hatch. They'd decided Mara would pose as the captain, keeping the focus on her and not on the two former Sith Lords. Also, the few clues they had about the Star Forge's occupants suggested some form of matriarchal society, so they would probably respond better to her than any of the others.

She cast a look over the three men, checking their disguises one last time before they left the ship. Revan had changed into a civilian outfit in his preferred color scheme, a black jacket and trousers with a dark brown shirt and boots, and he was armed with a blaster slung low at his side, his lightsabers presumably hidden somewhere in his jacket. Luke had simply removed his outer robe and concealed his lightsaber, since his usual loose-fitting tunic, trousers and boots were ordinary civilian clothes anyway.

As could be expected, Vader elected to dress entirely in black. His one grudging concession to disguise was to switch out his uniform jacket for a black flight jacket and to scuff up his boots a little, which, along with relaxing his usually rigid posture some, made him look remarkably less like himself. He wore a blaster at his side, and also held a large blaster carbine to complete his disguise. Revan had remarked that Vader looked like a Mandalorian mercenary he had once known, and Mara had to agree; dressed like this, Vader fit the role of bitter old soldier perhaps a little too well.

Satisfied they were at least not obviously Jedi, Mara punched the controls and stepped onto the ramp, standing near the end as it lowered to the dark metal deck-plates of the hangar.

"Hey there," she called to the group of men and women who waited for them, all human, most young, and all dressed in rough homespun clothing. "I'm Captain Celina Marniss. Thanks for taking us in like this. That solar storm scrambled the hell out of our navigation system." She looked around without waiting for a reply, running her eyes over the cavernous dimensions of the hangar, walled in metallic brown with little illumination. "Nice place you got here."

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward, fixing her with unnervingly intent eyes. "We are the Children of the Mother, Captain Celina Marniss," he said. "By her grace, we welcome you aboard the Holy Forge."

"Where are my manners?" Mara said with a smile, concealing her uneasiness. "This is my crew: Jolee, the pilot, our medic Owen, and our… public relations officer, Han." She could feel Vader glowering at her, but did not turn to look at him, smirking slightly to herself.

"I am Jerek," the man said, looking around at the four of them as if studying them in detail. "We do not ordinarily welcome travelers, but the High Priestess told us to bring you aboard. She says the Mother is curious about you."

"I can't imagine why," Mara said with a shrug. "But we're grateful for the help, anyway. If we could get some parts from you to repair our ship, we'll be on our way."

"You must be taken to the High Priestess first," Jerek said placidly. "She will decide."

Mara didn't like the sound of that, but opted not to comment. Instead she turned and called up the ramp, "See what you can do to get started while we're away," to R2-D2, who bleeped an acknowledgment.

Surprising her, the group of people tensed, drawing previously hidden knives from within their robes, and Jerek scowled up at the ship. "What is that?" he demanded.

"Just our astromech," Mara soothed, "nothing to get excited about."

"Is it a combat machine?" Jerek asked, still glaring.

"He's a mechanic," Mara replied. "No combat functions whatsoever." Which was true of a factory-spec R2 unit, if not technically this particular droid. But they didn't need to know that.

"It will stay on your ship," Jerek snapped. "Only the Mother may have machine servants." He pointed to her blaster. "You will also leave your guns here. Weapons are not permitted in the High Priestess' presence."

"All right," Mara said, removing her blaster belt and handing it back to Luke. "How about we all just calm down and promise to be on our best behavior?"

"You are here by the grace of the Mother and the High Priestess," one of the women in the group said calmly, with just an edge of warning. "No threats to them will be tolerated."

"Nobody's threatening anybody," Mara said, on full alert now. She'd seen this sort of mentality before; these people were just itching for any excuse to jump on them no matter what their leader had said.

In disturbing unison, the glares and barely concealed hostile looks the group had been giving them switched over to slightly-too-enthusiastic friendly smiles. If their entire mission hadn't been to get aboard this station, Mara would have turned and left right then. Something very, _very_ odd was going on around here.

"We will show you to the High Priestess' chambers," Jerek said, his voice now devoid of any hint of annoyance or threat. "She will explain everything."

Mara shared a significant glance with Luke as they followed the group toward the turbolift, mutually assuring one another they were ready for anything.

* * *

><p>To Jaina, it seemed rather improbable that a ship the size of the <em>Executor<em> could sneak anywhere, let alone into a system that was under siege by the Yuuzhan Vong. Yet somehow, through methods he and the crew avoided discussing, Thrawn managed it, and maneuvered the titanic warship into position behind Dubrillion's moon, hiding from the sizable fleet gathered in orbit.

Jaina guessed the method used to conceal the _Executor_ from Vong sensors had also been applied to the dropships that quietly left the warship escorted by two full squadrons of fighters and bombers, curving around the dark side of the planet to hide their approach. Whatever the Vanguard Fleet had done to their ships matched no cloaking device Jaina had ever seen, but she was able to deduce that it somehow fooled sensors into thinking ships were asteroids or meteors, since a discreet glance into the cockpit at her dropship's sensors registered nothing but rock and metal in the _Executor_'s position. The landing group also maintained an irregular formation, one which she supposed meant they were pretending to be a meteor shower.

The Imperial dropship in which she and the Vader's Fist unit rode was reminiscent of the old LAAT gunships used by the Republic in the Clone Wars; heavily armed and armored while remaining surprisingly maneuverable.

As they hurtled down through the atmosphere, Jaina warily eyed a bank of storm clouds near the city, which the landing group was apparently intending to use for cover.

"Don't worry," one of the elite troopers said behind her. Jaina turned, and her HUD identified the speaker as Corporal Vazkes. "This thing could get hit by lightning ten times and keep flying. Me and Hiqs here had a lot of fun bashing these things through the testing courses a few years ago."

Another of the black-armored troopers seated beside Vazkes nodded once, and Jaina sensed a grin beneath his helmet.

"All ships, prepare to disengage stealth mode," Colonel LaRone transmitted on the battle-group frequency. "Gunships, ready speakers."

"Speakers?" Jaina said curiously.

Behind her helmet, Vazkes grinned broadly. "Here come the machine demons," she said with dark amusement.

Jaina felt a rhythmic bass rumble in the deck beneath her boots, and as the large doors running the length of the troop compartment retracted, she realized the battle group was broadcasting ominous music at thunderous volume from hull-mounted speakers. The heavy blaster cannons joined in, adding their howling whine to the orchestra.

The music had been recorded with some sort of electrically amplified string instruments which gave it a growling, intimidating edge along with the heavy, pounding drum-beats and blaring brassy horns. She was familiar enough with the Imperial anthem, but this version sounded like it had been recorded by one of the heavy-isotope bands Anakin listened to. She had to admit it certainly got the adrenaline pumping.

"Lord Vader's idea," Vazkes went on. "We swoop down out of the clouds with all guns blazing, blasting '_The Imperial March_' loud enough to rattle their bones. The scar-heads hate it; it makes 'em crazy and stupid."

"Best way to deal with ground forces when we can't use our preferred method," said Hiqs.

Jaina looked over at him. "Which is?"

Again, she sensed a grin behind his helmet. "Nuke 'em from orbit. It's the only way to be sure you get 'em all."

She nodded without replying. She wasn't entirely comfortable with some of the Imperial tactics, but since she wasn't in command of this mission, there wasn't anything to be gained from mentioning it.

Hanging on to the bar that ran the length of the troop compartment's ceiling, Jaina leaned out slightly and watched as the bombers and gunships swooped over the massed Vong army outside the city, which had been engaged in firing their magma weapons at the domed energy shield protecting the perimeter.

The city was spread over a large plain next to a river, offering little cover against anti-air fire. This was fortunate for those inside the city, since they could use the air-defense towers on most of the large buildings against the coralskippers that harassed the shield, but on the other hand, it also meant the Vong could do the same to the approaching Imperial ships with their own heavy weapons.

Less than a hundred meters away, a magma blast hit one of the TIE fighters square in the cockpit, and it tumbled from the sky in flames. Jaina winced and tightened her grip on the bar as another blast flared past their gunship and the pilot banked left to avoid it.

In the growing light of the predawn sky, Jaina could just barely make out the flashes of weapons fire kilometers above them as _Executor_ emerged from hiding to engage the enemy fleet. The New Republic task force had not yet arrived, but she knew Vader's flagship was more than capable of holding the line until then. After the humiliating defeat at Yavin almost twenty-five years ago, Darth Vader and his crew had modified and upgraded their vessel over the years to make it the most deadly warship in the galaxy. In the hands of Grand Admiral Thrawn, it was practically unstoppable.

Laser fire flashed down from the landing group like punishing rain, mercilessly hammering the Vong ground troops. The Yuuzhan Vong had chosen to attempt to invade Dubrillion's capital with a ground army, the intent being to take the citizens alive as slaves and sacrifices, and the Imperial strategy was to punish them for that decision by unleashing a flight of bombers, fighters, and gunships upon their troops.

The Vong, however, were not without defenses, and that was where Jaina and Vader's Fist came in. Huge six-legged reptilians carried dovin basals and magma projectors on their backs, crewed and defended by dozens of Yuuzhan Vong warriors and smaller reptilian humanoids of unknown species.

"Solo, you're on," said LaRone.

Jaina took a deep breath and released it, opening herself to the Force. She was not as practiced in Battle Meditation as her mother, but her duty here was merely to reinforce the Imperials' own rigid discipline, not attempt to guide their actions herself. Her mother was needed on the _Executor_ to help coordinate the flagship's attack, anyway.

She could sense Ami and Malysa on one of the other gunships, joining their powers with hers. Pausing for one last breath to purge all distractions, Jaina extended herself into the Force and sent her mind out to brush those of the soldiers.

"_White group, watch the walker at one-eight-six. They're bringing that heavy cannon around."_

"_Shield's starting to look a little weak in sector five. Blue group, get over there and take that walker out."_

"_I'm hit!"_

"_Eject, eject!"_

"_Black Seven's ejecting. JM-865, get over there and pick him up before the Vong get to him."_

"_Roger that. On my way."_

"_The shield is down! Repeat, the shield is down! The Vong are entering the city; all gunships move to intercept."_

Jaina felt a tap on her shoulder, and she pulled back, looking over to see Colonel LaRone standing next to her with his blaster rifle held upright in one hand.

"We're on," he said. "They'll be dropping us off on the main thoroughfare, where we'll take up position to hold off the ground troops while the gunships start evacuating civilians." He gestured up to an angular dark shape high above them, a _Victory-_class heavy frigate. "Administrator Calrissian says the Vong managed to shoot down or otherwise heavily damage most of their space-worthy vessels before they got the shield up, so the gunships will be ferrying civilians up to the _Riposte_. Our job is to keep the enemy away from the civilians for as long as possible."

She nodded in acknowledgment, watching as the gunship swooped low over the tide of Vong warriors and reptilians swarming through the perimeter into the city. Several of the troopers leaned out of the open doors to toss grenades down into the enemy ranks, and the heavy cannons mounted on the underside of the wings swiveled back to spray them with blaster fire. The enemy merely stepped over and around the bodies of their fallen comrades, determinedly continuing on.

Off in the distance, Jaina could see a formation of AT-AT and AT-ST walkers spreading out in a line to engage the enemy's rear guard while the bombers and fighters continued to harass the middle formations. The gunship passed between a pair of skyscrapers then, cutting off her view of the field, and Jaina returned her attention to the main thoroughfare where several other gunships were already setting down, disgorging dozens of black-armored elite troopers and white-armored stormtroopers.

As their gunship touched down, Jaina filed off along with the rest of Vader's Fist, eyeing their position. The city's broad main thoroughfare was ordinarily a marketplace, but had been hastily converted to a landing area. Hundreds of civilians were gathered in a nervous crowd at one end, watching as the Imperial troops set up repeating blasters, small portable shields, and made other preparations at the other.

"Grave, Hiqs, Felth, get to the top of those three buildings," LaRone ordered the snipers, gesturing to a trio of five-story buildings along the edge of the thoroughfare. "Vazkes, Bentis, Renniq, and Turc, you're with me; we'll be setting antipersonnel charges." He turned to Jaina. "Solo, you go back down and tell us which streets the Vong are taking."

Jaina nodded once and turned, sprinting down a clear space and then activating her repulsors to send her rocketing up to the roof of one of the buildings. Using the macrobinoculars built into her helmet, she scanned the various streets and passages leading to the thoroughfare, relaying the positions of the Vong troops.

"_501st, this is _Executor," the voice of the comm officer said over the general frequency. _"Several enemy ships have broken formation and are en route to your location. We are dispatching additional squadrons to intercept, but be prepared._"

"_Acknowledged, _Executor," LaRone replied. "_Let's hurry it up, people. I want these civilians on the _Riposte_ before those Vong get here."_

"_What the hell is that?"_ someone said, shocked.

The breach in normally rigid Imperial discipline surprised Jaina, putting her even more on alert.

"_Clarify last transmission, White Five,_" said one of the other officers.

"_Bogey in Sector Two,_" White Five replied. "_It's a… dragon!"_

"_Dragon?"_

White Five's only reply was an agonized scream, then he abruptly stopped transmitting.

Jaina paused. She'd heard some kind of almost inaudible ultrasonic whine in the background of White Five's last transmission. Almost immediately, chaos erupted on the general frequency as whatever-it-was attacked the fighters and ground walkers.

"_Solo-_" LaRone began, but Jaina was already on the move, leaping from building to building with the aid of her repulsors.

"On my way," she replied. "I'll try to get a visual."

"_What's going on over there?_" Colonel Natyir demanded over the elite trooper frequency. "_I can't get a reply from any of the fighters or walkers._"

Jaina made a last repulsor-aided leap to the top of the nearest skyscraper and turned to the west, zeroing in on the bright flashes lighting up the predawn sky beneath the approaching thunderheads. Lightning flashed down past a group of the swarming shapes, illuminating the area for just an instant, but it was long enough.

Something huge, winged and ugly was swooping through the fighter formations, breathing fire so hot it melted their hulls. Keeping one eye on the now-frantic battle with the Vong creature, Jaina pulled up the image her helmet cam had captured during the lightning flash. The creature looked like the scaly bastard offspring of a mynock and a hawk-bat, with traces of something else she didn't recognize thrown in along with bioluminescent lines running along its wings and flanks.

"_I've never seen one of those before,_" Hiqs commented as Jaina relayed the image back to the Fist. "_The shapers have been busy._"

"_If it bleeds, we can kill it,_" Vazkes replied.

"It's just shrugging off the fighters' fire," Jaina reported. "I'm not sure what we can do with what we have."

Even as she said this, though, she had an idea, an idea so crazy it would make her father proud.

"Master Kolos, where's your gunship?" she transmitted with a slow grin. "I'm going to need it."

* * *

><p>On the way to the High Priestess' chambers, Mara surreptitiously examined their surroundings, meticulously logging every detail for later study with the memory-enhancement techniques she had used in her career as a spy and agent.<p>

Despite the high technology of the Rakatan station, there was little evidence its inhabitants used or even knew how to use much of it. Every computer she saw was dark or outright broken, scavenged for parts sometime in the distant past. Crude hand-woven tapestries and other artworks sat incongruously amid the factory machinery, some of it repurposed as part of dwellings or shops.

Mara noted a repeated motif of a masked and armored man in the artwork; by the slight tightening of Revan's expression as he saw these, she thought they were probably a crude representation of the ancient Sith Lord. The armored man was frequently shown wielding a red-bladed lightsaber against a taller, bald figure with some sort of gray beard or artificial jaw, also cloaked and armed with a similar weapon. Jagged fingers of lightning from the armored man's hand forced the bald figure to the ground in many of the murals and tapestries, while some were even more explicitly violent.

One of the women escorting them noticed her looking at the murals. "The great victory of the Lord Revan over Malak the Betrayer," she said with an almost religious fervor. "Though Malak treacherously turned on him and the Jedi tried to destroy him, the Lord Revan was triumphant and obliterated all of his enemies with the power of the Holy Forge. The Mother says he went on a journey to protect his people, but that one day he will return to lead us to glorious victory once more."

"How long have your people lived here?" Mara asked casually, watching the woman's reaction.

The woman looked back at her serenely, reciting from memory. "The High Priestess says our ancestors were frozen in sleep by the Mother millennia ago, but they were awoken six decades ago to prepare for the return of the Lord Revan."

"Some say the Lord Revan will be reborn as one of us," one of the men put in. "Some of our people are descended from the Mother herself."

Jerek glared at the man. "Do not discuss such things in the presence of outsiders," he warned, and the man actually paled.

Mara noted Revan's carefully controlled expression, and wondered what he was thinking. From what little she knew of his life, she had a guess as to who this Mother might be - though in this dark alternate universe, it was difficult to say what was the same and what was horrifyingly different.

This made her think of Jacen again, and she forced herself to lock her own features into an expressionless mask. She still couldn't quite believe it, that he had been so capriciously and callously executed by some dark parody of his mother.

_Jedi do not hate_, she repeated silently to herself. It was all too easy to let feelings of hurt and loss turn to rage, and it was only a step from there to the Dark Side. She had only to look to the broad-shouldered figure a step behind her to see the consequences of letting oneself go like that.

_Control, control, you must learn control!_ Master Yoda's voice echoed back to her across twenty years. _You are a Sith no more, Mara Jade. A Jedi you have chosen to be, and no longer can you let your anger control you in battle. Control it you must, your servant make it, and not your master. A Jedi maintains the most serious focus, especially in times when emotions run strong._

Reminding herself of this and other lessons learned in that year after Bespin calmed her, and brought her back to a more analytical state of mind.

Just in time, as it turned out; only moments later Jerek announced that they had arrived at the chambers of the High Priestess, which were in what Mara guessed had once been the command deck of the station.

"Remove your footwear," Jerek said, taking off his sandals.

"Why?" said Vader, dangerously close to rudeness.

"This is hallowed ground," Jerek replied. "The chamber beyond is the very place where Lord Revan won his glorious duel against Malak the Betrayer. You will show respect."

Again, Mara noticed a slight tightening of Revan's expression around his eyes, though he bent to remove his boots without comment. She did the same, placing her boots next to Luke's beside the door.

"Those as well," Jerek said with a gesture to her socks.

Mara could practically feel heat from Vader's glare at the man behind her, but all four of them complied, following the group barefoot. She noticed a pair of spidery droids positioned on either side of the passageway into the chamber, noting how their photoreceptors followed them. If the droids detected their lightsabers, they gave no indication.

"The High Priestess will see you now," Jerek said, and he and the others stopped before the final door. "We will wait here."

The door opened into an expansive room dominated by enormous transparisteel windows looking out on the core of the factory. A pair of ramps at either end of the room led up to an upper level, a balcony overlooking the main chamber and the factory on the other side of the windows. It was done all in grim dark gray metal, dimly lit and faintly forbidding. Dozens of flickering golden candles scattered about the cavernous room in groups of three and four provided most of the illumination.

Waiting on the balcony above was a tall woman, her features cast in shadow by her elaborate metal headdress. She was clad in a slightly fancier version of the homespun robes worn by the others, her arms bare and wrists and biceps encircled by glittering metal bands.

"What brings you to the Holy Forge?" the High Priestess called down from the balcony, her voice strangely deep for a woman's, yet melodious.

Mara looked up at her, still unable to see details of her face. "I'm Cap-"

"I know who you are," the High Priestess interrupted. "Why have you come here?"

"Our ship was damaged and we got lost," Mara said, sticking to their cover for now. "We were hoping you'd help us with repairs."

The High Priestess was silent for a moment, her hands resting lightly on the railing. "You are hiding something," she said. "I do not sense that you are lying, but neither are you telling the whole truth." She lightly tapped her fingers on the railing, producing a slight metallic clinking from the rings she wore. "In the name of the Mother, I grant you our hospitality and protection," she said at last. "You will stay with us for a time, until the Mother sees fit to reveal to me your destinies."

Mara didn't like the sound of that at all, but gave no outward indication, instead adopting a slightly relieved smile. "Well, thank you," she said. "I'll have my men draw up a list of parts, and-"

"Do not concern yourself with such things," the High Priestess said, languidly raising a hand. "Be at ease for now, travelers. The Mother's peace be with you."

Meaning, Mara thought, they could check out any time they liked, but they could never leave. This was going to get ugly eventually; with Darth Vader and his legendary temper in their group, that much was certain.

"I guess we'll, uh, head back to our ship then," she said, still giving no outward sign of her suspicions.

"You will be more comfortable in guest quarters than on your starship, I am sure," the High Priestess said with the barest hint of firmness in her voice; this was not a request, but a thinly veiled order. She wanted to keep them away from their ship for some reason.

Well, Mara thought to herself as she smiled politely and led the group to the door, these Children of the Mother would have one nightmare of a time trying to force their way into the ship, especially with R2-D2 aboard controlling the systems, so things would be all right for a little while.

But still, as they followed the robed semi-primitives deeper into the station, Mara reflected that she had never felt so reassured by the familiar shape of her lightsaber against her back.

* * *

><p>"<em>You are even crazier than your father, and I didn't think that was possible.<em>"

Jaina grinned, though Malysa could not see her expression behind her faceplate, or even at all at this distance. She watched the dark gray Imperial gunship as it approached her position.

"Oh, come on, Mal," Jaina drawled in her best imitation of Han Solo, "you know this is gonna be fun. All you have to do is get me over there, and then you can just sit back and watch."

"_That's still 'Master Kolos' to you, Knight Solo,"_ said Malysa, though her tone was amused.

As the gunship passed the skyscraper on which she was perched, Jaina leaped and activated her suit's repulsors, sending her arcing through the sky towards the armored vessel. She touched down on the deck just inside the open door of the troop compartment; the pilot didn't even have to slow down.

Grabbing on to the bar above her head which ran the circumference of the compartment, Jaina looked forward to see Malysa and Ami emerging from the cramped cockpit. Both master and apprentice wore identical expressions of concern mixed with a sort of amused awe at the sheer audacity of her plan.

Ami idly twisted a strand of red-gold hair around her finger, obviously trying to hide her nervousness. "This thing's fire is hot enough to melt starship hulls, Jaina," she said finally. "And you want to go right up to it?"

"I just need you to get me within repulsor range," Jaina replied, hearing the flat, distorted sound of her own voice through her helmet. "I'll take care of the rest." Fortunately, her helmet removed any audible trace of her own nervousness, which she was trying very hard to suppress.

"There's a line between confidence and recklessness," said Malysa, all trace of humor now gone from her expression. "I know your family is fond of ignoring that line, but I want to know that this is an actual strategy, not just some stunt you're pulling to show off."

Jaina also removed all hint of humor from her bearing. "This thing is just shrugging off fighter-grade blaster fire," she said seriously. "Short of having a Star Destroyer pull off the small miracle of blasting it from orbit with a heavy turbolaser battery, this is the only way I can think of to take this creature down. Like Vazkes said, if it bleeds, we can kill it. I am positive the eyes are a vulnerable spot, but not even one of Vader's elite snipers can hit them with the maneuvers it's pulling out there."

"This had better work, Jaina," Malysa said, her dark eyes utterly serious. "I don't want to have to attempt to explain this to your parents." This last statement was edged with a very slight hint of morbid humor.

Jaina shifted her feet as the gunship went into a sharp climb, angling high above the chaos in the sky around the Vong 'dragon'-creature. "Pilot!" she called up into the cockpit. "Have you reestablished contact with those ships down there?"

"I've gotten through to a few," the man replied. "They're standing by for your mark."

"Mark!" Jaina shouted, leaping from the open door of the gunship. The wind shrieked around her as she fell, activating her repulsors in short bursts to adjust her trajectory. She quickly spun her lightsaber into a reverse grip, but did not ignite it yet, wanting to draw as little attention to herself as possible at this stage.

Below, several of the surviving fighters unleashed another punishing fusillade against the great flying beast. Though their fire was still ineffectual against its armored hide, the blaster bolts served as an excellent distraction for the creature, which ignored what it assumed to be just another piece of falling debris from its rampage in the face of more enticing targets. The howling roar of the TIE fighters' engines mixed with the snarls of the creature and the whine of blaster fire, a horrendous cacophony that threatened to overwhelm her senses. Jaina dialed up her audio filters, muting the noise to a more tolerable level.

Working to purge all distractions as she continued to plummet through the sky, she took a series of deep, slow breaths, narrowing her focus to the creature, and then to her intended target, its head. The Imperial pilots boldly kept up their distraction, straining their vessels through wild maneuvers as they dodged its streaks of incredibly hot flame. Even from this height and through her armor, Jaina could feel the heat; if the creature noticed her, she would be incinerated in moments, she knew.

Two more slow breaths, a last burst of thrust from her repulsors, and suddenly she was within range.

She stretched out her hand and caught hold of one of the spines protruding from the creature's sloping skull, using her momentum to alter her trajectory. Even with the aid of the servomotors in her armor, she felt the strain in her shoulder, and bit back a grunt.

Igniting her lightsaber in mid-swing, Jaina stretched out her arm and plunged the gleaming violet blade into the creature's eye up to the hilt, stabbing straight into the thing's brain.

That was her intent, anyway; what actually happened was that the creature turned its head in mid-stab, so that she only punctured its eye with the tip of her blade and missed the killing blow. The creature roared and tossed its spiny head, throwing Jaina up and away to land on its broad back. She let her lightsaber go out as she tumbled through the air, barely maintaining her grip on the hilt.

Hissing out a frustrated curse favored by her father in just this sort of situation, Jaina seized another of the long spines along its back and planted her boots on its armored scales. The creature craned its neck back and snapped at her with its wickedly sharp teeth, but she was just out of reach.

She tightened her grip and braced her legs as the creature hurled itself into a barrel roll in an attempt to dislodge her. Its broad flanks heaved beneath her feet, and Jaina tensed, realizing it was about to attempt to breathe flame at her.

Just as its massive head came around, Jaina let go and allowed herself to fall backwards with momentum, but as soon as she dropped beneath the creature's wing, out of sight for just a moment, she activated her boot repulsors and angled herself up along its belly, eyes roving over its scaly hide for weak spots.

There, at the base of the throat! She poured on even more thrust, ignited her lightsaber, and stabbed into the soft spot as hard as she could, feeling her blade pierce deep inside the monster.

The creature rolled again, but Jaina pulled back, hovering on her repulsors and watching. Flame bubbled up from within the monster, but poured uncontrolled out of the new hole in its throat instead of its mouth, scorching the creature's head and neck.

It keened in pain, an agonized wail, and flapped its wings furiously, whimpering. Jaina smiled tightly within her helmet, knowing it was mortally wounded now.

But still, she knew, an injured beast was dangerous, sometimes even more so than usual. Increasing the thrust from her boot repulsors, she angled herself up and over the creature's thrashing head, again catching hold of one of the spines along the top of its skull.

This time, she did not miss. Her blade plunged up to the hilt through the creature's still-smoking eye, and with a groan abruptly cut short by its death, it plummeted from the sky.

Jaina hovered back and watched it fall for a moment, then signaled the gunship to come and pick her up.

As she waited, she surveyed the battlefield from her lofty position, noting that the Imperial fighters had taken full advantage of her distraction to resume pummeling the Vong lines. Massive swaths of the enemy's ground formation could not be seen through a haze of smoke and flame, and though they attempted to return fire with the magma cannons mounted on the backs of their war-beasts, the Imperials had clearly gained the upper hand.

Barely discernible in the morning light, the flashes of the space battle overhead indicated it was still ongoing. She dimly sensed her mother's power flowing over the Imperial formation, deep in concentration to provide what aid she could. Things seemed to be going well, but still she silently urged more speed from the incoming Republic fleet which was due any minute.

Rumbling engines alerted her to the gunship's approach, and she gratefully touched town inside, sinking tiredly into one of the chairs in the forward part of the compartment.

Sitting opposite her, Ami slightly quirked one eyebrow as she ran an eye over her cousin. "A little overdone," she said laconically.

Jaina pulled off her helmet and set it on the chair next to her, still breathing heavily. "Worked, didn't it?" she said with a weary grin.

"I was talking about you, actually," Ami said with a perfect imitation of her mother's lightly teasing smile. "You're still smoking."

Only then did Jaina realize the acrid stench of scorched plastic assaulting her nostrils was coming from herself. She looked down to see several melted spots on her armor, a sobering indication of just how close a contest it had been.

"Well," she deadpanned, "at least I know the heat-diffusion systems work."

Ami laughed, shaking her head slightly. "Master Kolos is right," she said, "You _are_ crazier than Uncle Han."

Jaina leaned back in her seat, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Why, thank you," she said with a smile, resting her head against the cool metal hull behind her. "I'll be sure to tell him you think so."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: If you can name all the sci-fiaction movies I referenced in this chapter... you are almost as big a nerd as I am. ;)

Thanks to hairyhen, who was super-busy these last couple of weeks but still took the time to go over this for me. Till next time, thanks for reading!


	18. Ghost of Days Gone By

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Eighteen<strong>  
>(Ghost of Days Gone By)<p>

In her cabin in the _Jade Sabre_, Jenn sat in the low padded chair next to her bunk, her elbows propped on the arms and her chin resting on her interlaced fingers. She stared at the crystalline holocron sitting on the shelf across from her in the small room, thinking about the past.

Growing up at the Enclave on Dantooine, Jenn had always known on some level she was never destined to be an ordinary Jedi - if there was even such a thing. From an early age, she had been drawn to others, had almost instinctively taken the lead in her various circles of friends. Then later, when she had followed Revan and Malak to war against the orders of the Jedi Council, she had taken up a position of senior command within their forces, by the end of the war third only to Revan and Malak themselves. She had been trusted with the Mass-Shadow Generator in that cataclysmic final battle at Malachor, told by Revan himself to use her best judgment in deploying it.

Bao-Dur had followed her order without question, even knowing what it meant, all of the destruction it would cause. All of the soldiers under her command during those long, bloody, exhausting years had followed her orders without question, Jenn remembered, even when she sent them to their deaths. For a long time she thought this had been out of respect, either for her or more indirectly for the charismatic leader of the maverick faction of Jedi which took command of the Republic's forces.

But then came her return to the Republic after her years of wandering the outlying sectors of civilized space, and all the confusing revelations and confrontations of that time. The Jedi Masters she encountered called her a cipher, a wound in the Force, dominating the will of others and binding them to herself, even unintentionally. They claimed the loyalty of her companions was not due to her personality or anything she did, but rather an overwhelming of their very selves through her own power.

Kreia had denied this afterward, though Jenn knew the old woman had told her lies beyond count during the months they traveled together. She still had a hard time deciding what, if anything, the fallen Jedi had told her was truth.

On the way to Telos after that, her friends had also denied the Jedi Masters' claims.

"_Don't be ridiculous_," Mira had said with her characteristic bluntness. "_I've seen you use your Jedi mind tricks plenty of times, and I certainly don't feel brainwashed." _

_She paused next to where Jenn sat in one of the chairs around the central holoprojector of the _Ebon Hawk_'s main hold, looking down at her with a hint of defiance in her hazel eyes._

"_How many other things were those same Masters wrong about?" Mira said with a dismissive gesture. "I may not be the galaxy's leading expert on Jedi, but those guys had a pretty poor track record, if you ask me."_

"_She's right," said Atton, meeting Jenn's eyes over the lower edge of the inactive projector. "They were too hung up on the past, on assigning blame, to take responsibility for their own mistakes. Instead of listening to what you had to say or trying to help you, they banished you after Malachor. To me, that shows a serious lack of understanding."_

"_They feared you, as my master fears you," came Visas' quiet voice from behind her. The Miraluka stepped into view, turning her blind eyes beneath her red silk headdress to Jenn. "Like so many, they feared what they did not understand, and sought to keep you away from themselves rather than study you, as I have, and learn to see you for who you truly are."_

"_And what am I?" Jenn said, unable to hide her bitterness. "Just another twisted monster born of Malachor, like Nihilus?"_

"_You are a beacon of light within the Force," Visas replied serenely. "My master bends others to his will by force, leaves them but shells of their former selves, slaves to his will. You are nothing like him," she said, gently laying a hand on Jenn's shoulder. "You do not force us to your will. You inspire us by your example."_

"_She is right, Jenn," said Mical from where he stood next to Atton. "Had you asked it of me, I would have followed you to war all those years ago. The Council was wrong; you were, and still are, a true Jedi. And that is why I follow you now."_

"_You haven't brainwashed anyone, General," said Bao-Dur, looking over at her. "You are a leader because you're able to make those hard decisions, like at Malachor." The Iridonian paused, and a momentary storm crossed his features. "The Mass-Shadow Generator claimed the lives of thousands," he said quietly, "but I still believe you were right to activate it. Everything depended on that last battle, General; our forces were close to defeat, and if the Mandalorians had beaten us there, there would have been nothing stopping them from completing their conquest. With that decision, even with all it cost you, with all it cost _us_," he raised his artificial arm for emphasis, "you still saved many more lives than you destroyed. You are still that woman, that leader, and that is why I obey your commands still."_

Jenn stared at the holocron and Mira's lightsaber beside it on the otherwise bare metal shelf. Was that true? Was she really that sort of leader, or was all that merely rationalization forced upon them by her leeching power? Had Mira come after her all those years later out of a sense of loyalty to her friend, or had her will been so thoroughly dominated by her master that she had been unable to resist it even after that long?

What about now? Corran and the boys had been quick to agree with her at nearly every juncture of this mission. Was it because she was right, or were her powers subconsciously working on them, too?

Slowly, the holocron lifted free of the shelf and hovered closer in her invisible grip, rotating. She looked at her reflection in its facets, seeing only an ordinary-looking woman as always, but she wondered what was really beneath the veneer of her physical form. Was she truly a luminous being as Visas had once claimed, or was she merely another gaping maw of hunger, a wound in the Force like Darth Nihilus?

"Jenn," Visas' voice said suddenly, and Jenn was startled to realize she was not imagining it; it was coming from the holocron.

The Miraluka appeared in miniature holographic form above the crystalline lattices of the small device, and Jenn nearly lost her grip on it in surprise. Carefully, she set it back down on the shelf and leaned forward in her chair, listening.

"Atton and I have laid Mira to rest here in the temple," the recording of Visas went on. "As she did, I sense that you still live, and though the chances are remote, someday you may return here. The Force whispers of some destiny attached to this place, though neither of us can see it with any real clarity." She paused for a moment. "On the slim hope that you find this, I leave this message that only you can activate; no other who finds this holocron will unlock what I am about to say.

"There are troubling indications that the True Sith of which you spoke when you left those many years ago are stirring once again, that perhaps their advance agents are even now infiltrating the Republic. Atton and I have conferred, and we believe we can trust no one but your other students, who serve today as leading members of the Jedi Council, with even the news that a second Star Forge exists, hidden far beyond the edges of the galaxy in one of its dwarf satellite companions.

"If we do not return from our mission to investigate it, if we are not at Coruscant when you find this, I ask that you follow us, that you ensure the second Star Forge does not fall into the hands of the Sith. With its counterpart under Revan and Malak, the forces of darkness nearly overran the galaxy, and paved the way for still worse horrors besides. Nothing in the galaxy could stand against an army issuing forth from this stellar factory, and this second station must be destroyed as well."

Visas paused again, a slight smile crossing her features beneath her headdress. "I know it is unlikely you will ever see this, Jenn, but as Atton has reminded me, you have a habit of overcoming long odds to triumph in the end. I sense this message may reach you in time for you to use it for greatest good, as you always have. I hope that we see one another again someday, but until that time, may the Force be with you."

The hologram faded away, and Jenn remained sitting in her chair, still staring at it, for several more minutes. Perhaps, she thought, her most private doubts were wrong and her friends were right; perhaps the Force was working through her still. She had never put much stock in a fixed destiny, but in this she saw the guiding hand of the Force, ensuring she would be able to deal with this aspect of this latest galactic crisis.

A reverberating thrum passed through the ship as the hyperdrive deactivated. Moments later, the beep of the intercom broke into her thoughts, and Jenn leaned over to answer it. "Yes?"

"_Captain to the bridge,_" Corran replied with a trace of humor. "_We've dropped out of lightspeed on the edge of Companion Grek, and we're picking up a mass of metal on long-range sensors."_

"Asteroids?" Jenn asked, standing.

"_I think it's a ship,"_ said Ben. "_Though we're not detecting any power systems; it may be a wreck._"

"I'll be right there," Jenn said, picking up her outer robe from where she had tossed it onto the bunk. She shrugged into the dark blue garment as she left her cabin and headed forward for the cockpit.

As she passed through the lounge, she paused for a moment. She thought she felt something at the edge of her perception, a slight twinge in the Force akin to a sense of motion at the corner of her eye, but when she concentrated, she felt nothing out of the ordinary. Dismissing it as nerves, Jenn continued on into the cockpit, where she found her companions seated at their respective stations.

Corran was as usual in the pilot's seat, with Anakin as his copilot and Ben at the sensors/communications post behind them. Jenn took one of the passenger chairs, returning Corran's nod of greeting.

"It's definitely a ship," Ben announced a moment later, peering at his monitors. "Now I'm picking up some very slight traces of power, probably just passive systems. It doesn't seem to be trying to hide from us," he said, and half-frowned in puzzlement. "It doesn't seem to be doing much of anything, really."

"Got a configuration?" Corran asked, angling in the direction of the readings.

"It's big," Ben replied a moment later. "A thousand meters long, at least. Any smaller and I don't think we'd have picked it up at this distance."

"A warship, maybe?" Anakin asked. "Not a Vong one," he went on. "You said it had a high metal content."

Ben did not reply immediately, focusing on his monitors. "That's odd," he said almost to himself. "It's structured like an Imperial Star Destroyer, but it looks like it has _two_ command towers, side by side."

"It might be an old _Venator-_class from the Clone Wars," said Corran. "Though why it would be way the heck out here, I don't know. I've never heard of any extragalactic missions from then besides Outbound Flight, and we know that never made it out of the galaxy."

"Might as well check it out," Jenn said. "Take us to visual range."

Moments later, the derelict warship was visible through the forward viewports. Jenn leaned over the sensor monitors, looking at the more detailed readings. Beside her, Ben tapped at his console, gazing thoughtfully at the monitors.

"Odd," he said half to himself.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"The main reactor seems to be offline, but a few of the secondary reactors are still on, more than necessary to keep the running lights and air processors going." He gestured to one of the monitors. "I can't really tell from out here, but it looks like something big is still drawing power."

Corran brought the information up on his own monitors, and a moment later announced, "This is not a standard _Venator_-class ship. I'm seeing some heavy modifications here, and that's just the outer hull. It's got more weapons than standard, for one thing, and it looks like parts of it have extra armor plating and shielding."

"Any sign of life?" Jenn asked.

"None," Ben replied. "I'm having a hard time scanning the interior through the shielding, but I'm not picking up any life-forms."

"All right, let's go aboard and take a look," Jenn said. "Any docking bays still pressurized?"

"The blast doors are all closed," said Ben. "And we don't have the override codes."

Behind them, Whistler bleeped that he could crack the override codes and open one of the bays.

"Be my guest," Corran said with a gesture at the derelict.

* * *

><p>"It's been over two weeks," Mara said impatiently, pacing back and forth through their temporary quarters in the Star Forge. "Two weeks of sitting around. I hate sitting around."<p>

Luke looked up at her from his chair, setting his datapad aside. "Reconnaissance takes a while," he said. "We want to make sure we really know what's going on here before we take action."

Mara gave him an ironic smile. "There you go forgetting what I used to do again." She let the smile fade. "What have we learned so far?" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "We've figured out that most of the computer systems were locked by this universe's Revan before he left, and that these cultists have only managed to get control of the environmental systems and the food synthesizers. Recently, the station manufactured a few fighters apparently by itself, but only a select few are allowed access to them. Besides that, they're short-range, no hyperdrive, which means even if somebody decided to run, he'd never get out of the system. This High Priestess and her cronies seem to be keeping most of the people in the dark about what's really going on here, and that includes us."

"I get the impression that these people are deliberately denied access to most of the technology here," Luke said. "Someone wants them kept primitive and fanatical, and not asking questions."

"That's the way cults generally work," Mara said with a wry half-smile. "My impression is that the High Priestess is just stalling until she can get the computer systems unlocked. Right now she's trying to figure out if she can con us into doing it for her." She shrugged. "Then she'll kill us - or that's her plan, anyway."

"Do you think there is a Mother, or is the High Priestess just making her up?" Luke asked. "I sense… something, but I can't tell if it's the priestess herself or someone else."

Mara nodded in agreement. "That's all we can do without giving ourselves away." Hand still on her hip, she tapped the tips of her fingers on her belt a few times. "From the way they talk about her, I think there is a Mother, or was, and that she was one of the ancient Sith who followed this universe's Revan. Hidden in all the rhetoric and embellishments in their little campfire stories are some clues: after the Dark Lord left, the Sith left behind started fighting among themselves - as Sith are wont to do - and whoever this Mother was decided to take action before things got out of hand. She took control of the station, and used the security systems to put everybody in suspended animation until Revan came back.

"Only, he never came back; in this universe, Jenn tried to stop him, and as we saw back in the temple here, they killed each other. Eventually, something happened that damaged the station, - I'm guessing a comet or big asteroid hit it - and these people's… parents, I'm guessing, were brought out of stasis. Somebody made the decision not to immediately let them loose on the galaxy with an armada of manufactured warships, and for the last half-century or so, they've been waiting, sitting around this station getting crazier and creepier. Have I missed anything?"

"That sounds right to me," said Luke. "All that's left to find out is-"

He was interrupted by the abrupt entrance of his father, whose expression was even more grim than usual as he strode into the room. "We've found something," Vader said, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he stopped next to Luke's chair. "Artoo has been discreetly using the sensors in the _Hawk_ to scan the station, and he has detected a hidden chamber below the viewing platform in which there is a system drawing large amounts of power. The only entrance is in the High Priestess' private quarters."

"So how do we get in?" Mara asked.

"Our companion is attempting to determine that now," Vader replied. "Artoo also reports that several of these primitives have attempted to secretly gain access to our vessel, but thus far have been unsuccessful."

Mara glanced at Luke. "What do you think, theft or sabotage?"

He shrugged. "It's hard to tell. Whatever the reason, sooner or later they're going to get really determined to get in, and we'll have to do something about it."

"We will have acted long before then," said Vader. "We will ask our companion's opinion when he returns, but I advise that we seize control of this station and jettison its inhabitants."

"Onto to the planet, you mean," Luke said, looking up at his father.

Vader returned his look. "If convenient," he said darkly.

Luke frowned, but did not reply.

"I agree with you," said Mara. "Mostly," she amended. "We can't leave the station in the hands of these people, and we definitely can't leave it here for the Empress to find. If we can find some way of taking control of the station, _without_ killing everyone," she said with a glance at Vader, "we do it, and quickly."

Her danger sense flared then, and she reached back for her lightsaber just as the door to their quarters whooshed open and a dozen of the robed Children rushed in, armed with knives and spears.

At the head of the group was Jerek, his features contorted with rage. "Despite your attempts to hide what you really are," he snarled, "the Mother knows, and demands that you be brought before her. Surrender your weapons and come with us, or we will kill you now."

The servomotors in Vader's mechanical arm whirred as he clenched his hand into a fist. "You may try," he said dangerously, and Mara felt a crackling sensation in the Force as he began to gather his power.

"Stop," Luke said calmly, standing. "We will not surrender our weapons, but we will see the Mother." His face went very hard and serious, a warning gleam in his eyes. "We will come along peacefully, but if you force us to act, we will."

Something in his expression gave Jerek pause, and the man reluctantly nodded and waved for his people to put away their weapons. "Come along, then."

* * *

><p>After a short walk through the derelict's dim gray corridors beyond an empty fighter bay, lit only by red and yellow emergency lights, the <em>Jade Sabre<em>'s crew found a computer terminal which Whistler plugged into, beeping quietly to himself.

"Air's clean, if a bit stale," Corran observed as they waited. "Temperature's standard, too. The maintenance droids must still be operational."

Beside him, Ben flicked his fringe of red-gold hair out of his eyes and looked around. "I'm not seeing any signs of damage," he said. "Either the droids have fixed it, or it wasn't a battle that drove off the crew."

"Something violent happened here, though," said Anakin as he, too looked around, his ice-blue eyes colorless in the red emergency lighting. "It's faint, but I can sense it."

"Me, too," Jenn agreed, concentrating on the hazy impressions brushing her senses. "It was some time ago, but I feel… fear, anger, desperation."

Whistler let out an annoyed series of twitters and bleeps, withdrawing his probe from the terminal.

"He says the ship's log has been encrypted," Corran relayed. "He can't decrypt it from here; we're going to have to go to the bridge."

A heavy, metallic noise echoed down the silent corridor just then, and all four Jedi turned toward it, their hands dropping to their weapons. The noise sounded again, then again, and Jenn realized it was slow, unhurried footsteps drawing closer.

"It must be a droid; I don't sense life," Corran murmured, barely audible, as he noiselessly drew his lightsaber from his belt.

Jenn noticed his fingers tightening around the hilt of his lightsaber, the way he slowly tensed into a fighting stance, and she prepared to join him; she'd heard that some of the battle droids constructed during the Clone Wars had been built specifically to fight Jedi, and though this was a Republic vessel, they couldn't be sure what they'd find aboard.

So, in a way, it was almost disappointing when what tromped into view around the bend in the corridor was, not a gleaming war robot bristling with weapons, but a barrel-chested, long-armed labor droid, moving with a stiffness that suggested a heavy-duty suspension system.

"Greetings," the droid drawled, his speech as unhurried as his gait. "I am BLX-5. May I ask who you are?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jenn saw Anakin's brows draw together as if he was attempting to remember something, but then she looked to Corran as he stepped forward, returning his lightsaber to his belt. "I'm Corran Horn, Jedi Master," he said. "This is a Republic vessel, isn't it?"

"It is," BLX-5 replied. He paused, red photoreceptors focusing on Corran. "If I may say so, master Jedi, your rescue mission is rather late."

Jenn heard what sounded like a muffled snort of high-pitched laughter from the direction of the labor droid's chest, and her brows rose in curiosity.

"We're not here on a rescue mission," Corran replied, "but we are interested in what happened to the crew. Do you know?"

"I was not part of the original complement of droids," BLX-5 answered, "but we have done some investigating during our time here. It appears some of the subjects got loose from one of the special cargo holds and eliminated the crew. It seems they were unable to unlock the ship's systems after the captain attempted containment, and eventually the subjects starved to death."

"Two questions," said Corran, holding up the same number of fingers. "What were these subjects? And who's 'we'?"

"In answer to the first," replied the droid, "it seems this ship was modified as a sort of mobile laboratory and cloning facility, the purpose of which we have still been unable to determine. Several of the experimental subjects appear to have suffered from defects including insanity." He paused, moving his long arms back away from his chest. "In answer to the second…" His chest plastron split down the middle with a quiet hiss of releasing pressure, and the two halves swung open to reveal a small, gleaming metallic box among the droid's innards, which extended a small red photoreceptor mounted on a slim telescoping appendage. "My companion, Blue Max."

"Jedi, huh?," the small module piped in a high, childlike voice, "Didn't the Empire wipe you guys out a long time ago?"

"They tried," Corran said with a slight frown. "But things are different now. The Republic has been restored, and our order along with it."

"That is good to know," said BLX-5. "I served with some Jedi during the Clone Wars, and I was saddened to learn of their deaths."

Anakin snapped his fingers. "Bollux!" he said excitedly, as if having just remembered something important.

BLX-5 regarded the young man with a measure of surprise. "I have been known by that designation," he said. "Though it has been some time."

"It _is_ you!" Anakin enthused. "You traveled with my father for a while, a couple years before he met my mother. I remember you from his stories about the Corporate Sector."

Bollux gave the impression he would have smiled if his metal face had been able. "You are the son of Han Solo?" he asked.

Anakin nodded. "He wondered whatever happened to you two. What are you doing way the heck out here?"

"Fixing this ship," Blue Max replied. "_Very _slowly."

"We were part of a surveying expedition some years ago," Bollux went on. "Our captain decided to take advantage of the turmoil caused by the Galactic Civil War to do some… unregulated exploration of the companion dwarf galaxies for unclaimed mining resources. We were searching for a suitable site for a colony when our vessel was attacked by an unknown hostile force. We were boarded, and the crew abandoned ship. When we saw the attackers' particular hostility toward droids, Blue Max and I did the same, taking the last escape pod. We drifted for some time, until by chance we happened across this vessel. Since then, we have been attempting to repair its systems so that we might use it to return to the galaxy proper."

"And how long have you been at it?" Ben asked.

"Approximately twenty-two Standard years," Bollux replied mildly. "Max estimates another four years before we can safely attempt a hyperspace jump."

"Things would go faster if the main computer wasn't so kriffing _stubborn_," Blue Max said sourly. "If he would just cooperate and work with me on automating the systems instead of insisting we finish his damned mission, - which he refuses to tell us about, by the way - we'd have been back in civilization years ago."

"That may be the first time I've ever heard a droid curse," Jenn observed amusedly.

"I'll talk any way I karking well please, lady," Max replied rudely. "I ain't had to answer to any meatbags in twenty years, and I ain't about to start now."

Whistler bleeped something reproving, to which Max replied with, "Aw, shut up, stumpy. Nobody asked you."

Jenn raised her eyebrows in surprise, both at the module's boldness and at his unexpected use of an all-too-familiar term he certainly couldn't have learned from its originator.

"There's no cause for impoliteness, Max," Bollux drawled chidingly. "We may be able to barter passage with these people." He looked back up at the Jedi. "If I may ask, what is your mission here? We could perhaps be of assistance."

"We're looking for an ancient Rakatan space station," Corran replied. "It may have been taken over by a hostile race from outside the galaxy called the Yuuzhan Vong." He paused for a moment. "Tell me more about these hostiles who attacked your expedition."

"Their ships were of an unusual configuration, apparently made of some type of coral," Bollux answered. "The boarders were also heavily scarred and tattooed, wearing armor fashioned from some kind of shelled creature."

"That's the Vong, all right," said Anakin. "They've been out here in Companion Grek for over twenty years?"

"They've probably been using it as an advance base for scouting out the main galaxy," Corran said, looking over at his apprentice. "The files Vader left Luke made it seem to me like they've been planning this invasion for at least fifty years, maybe more."

"We may be able to assist you in locating this space station," Bollux offered. "At times we have used the long-range sensors to scan for vessels, and we have multiple times located an energy source of extraordinary power, though we have refrained from sending signals to it due to its unusual configuration."

"No sense letting these Vong things know where we are, given what they did to some of the other droids onboard," Max said with the electronic equivalent of a shudder.

"All right, you can hitch a ride with us," said Corran. "But first, let's head up to the bridge; I still want to look through this hulk's computers and see what it was doing out here. While Whistler and I are doing that, the rest of you can see what the sensors can tell us about the neighborhood."

As they headed off down the corridor, Blue Max said to the astromech rolling beside them, "Sorry about that 'stumpy' remark, earlier. The maintenance droids around here are just as unfriendly as their main computer, and we've never gotten along very well with them."

Whistler twittered back that he hadn't been at all offended, since Max was nothing but an undersized pocket calculator and couldn't be taken seriously anyway.

The computer module's high-pitched, indignant, "Hey!" echoed down the silent corridors behind them.

* * *

><p>In the executive conference room in <em>Executor<em>'s command tower, Jaina looked up from the table around which she, Master Kolos, and Colonel LaRone had been conferring with the Grand Admiral as the door whooshed open and a gray-uniformed aide of Thrawn's species entered, bearing a datapad.

"Excuse me, sir," the young Chiss ensign said, shifting her datapad to one hand as she approached the table. "The outpost at Arctriel has just contacted us to report that last night someone made use of the Generator without authorization, and one of their transports is missing. In addition, the quartermaster's latest inventory registers several weeks' worth of rations and shuttle fuel are also missing from our cargo bays."

Thrawn's glowing red eyes narrowed, and he was silent for a moment. "Where are the scientists who were working on Lord Vader's project?" he asked.

The ensign's expression tightened slightly. "Also missing, sir," she reported.

"When?" Thrawn asked, his voice betraying no emotion.

"Apparently before the battle yesterday, sir," the ensign replied. "They may have stowed away on the supply ship we dispatched to Arctriel before the engagement."

"Why?" Malysa asked, dark brows rising in puzzlement.

"They objected to Lord Vader's limitation of their research," Thrawn replied, turning to her. "They wished to study the phenomenon further, and it seems they have taken advantage of the confusion of our recent campaign to slip away." He turned back to the ensign. "Is there anything else to report?"

"Not at this time, sir," she replied. "Our investigation is still ongoing."

"Keep me apprised," said Thrawn. "Dismissed."

LaRone let out a short, disgusted sigh. "For almost three weeks, we've been chasing the remnants of the Vong force based out of Helska through this sector, and they pick now to abandon ship."

"The scientists have likely been planning this for some time," said Thrawn. "They made no secret of how Lord Vader's moratorium on their research while he is away rankled them."

"Would they really risk trying their own experiments, though?" Jaina asked. "Vader left almost a full legion of troops and two Star Destroyers behind to protect Arctriel. Did they think they could stay unnoticed for long?"

"They likely plan to plead for asylum in the Republic," Thrawn replied dismissively. "We have other concerns at the moment. Has Master Organa Solo learned anything more about this fire cult?"

"Not much, unfortunately," Jaina replied with a slight frown. "She and Da-… - er, General Solo - have investigated the ruins of Osarian, and they found nothing, not even one of those sculptures. However, investigation of recent events on the neighboring planet, Rhommamool, indicates there may have been Yuuzhan Vong activity in the system."

"Could these fire cultists be targeting Vong advance agents?" Malysa asked.

"And destroying whole planets to eliminate them?" LaRone said skeptically. "I think it's coincidence. What we need is to capture one or more of these zealots for interrogation."

"Emperor Fel has assured me he has several Imperial Knights tasked to do just that," said Thrawn. "Now, New Republic Intelligence has relayed to me a report of possible Yuuzhan Vong activity near the Corporate Sector…"

* * *

><p>Revan already was waiting for them when Jerek and his group brought Luke, Mara, and Vader up to the Star Forge's command room. Luke noted that the Jedi Master's face was carefully expressionless, though his dark brows were drawn slightly together in agitation.<p>

Now that they were no longer bothering to hide their Force sensitivity, Luke could sense why; the 'Mother' was indeed real, and she was a distinctly powerful presence in the Force, nearly overwhelming the somewhat lesser sense of the High Priestess nearby. The Dark Side was also plain in the Mother's sense, grimly cold and controlling, disturbingly like that of the dark version of his sister they had encountered.

Once again, as he'd had to do many times in the almost three weeks since they'd fled the Death Star, Luke was forced to push down his feelings of guilt and grief over Jacen's death and focus on the task at hand. That was still a raw and open wound, and it took all his control to not show his grief outwardly.

Luke returned his attention to his surroundings as they entered the expansive command room, and noted that now a cloaked and hooded figure stood next to the familiar silhouette of the High Priestess on the upper balcony, dimly lit by the multitudes of candles.

"All of you, leave us," the High Priestess called down to Jerek and his companions.

Jerek seemed about to object, but as Luke sensed a subtle twinge in the Force, the man's fingers rose to his collar as if brushing away an intangible pressure, and he reluctantly obeyed. Neither figure on the upper platform spoke until all of the robed Children had departed.

"So… Jedi," the cloaked figure said after a long silence, the voice female and surprisingly young-sounding, with a formal, vaguely Coruscanti accent. "You have come at last to destroy me."

"This doesn't have to end in violence," Luke said, taking a step forward. He looked up into the figure's hood, though he could see nothing but the barest dim outline of a slender chin, and above, yellow eyes subtly glowing with the power of the Dark Side.

The figure scoffed lightly, looking down at him scornfully. "Has an encounter between Jedi and Sith ever ended in anything but blood?" She shook her head slightly, the fabric of her hood rustling quietly with the movement. "No, you are here to wrest this station away from me, as you tried to do before, and again you will fail. The Star Forge is _mine_," her eyes flashed brighter for an instant, "and I will surrender control of it to no one but my Master."

"And who is your Master?" Mara called up to her.

"My mother's father," the High Priestess replied, her jewelry glittering in the flickering candlelight. "None other than the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith ever to have lived… Darth Revan."

Luke marveled at his companion's control; he sensed no reaction from Revan in the Force, and saw merely a slight tightening of his expression.

"I have been waiting for him to return to me for a very long time," the cloaked figure said. "But I sense he will. Never did I sense his death. Even now I feel him, alive." Her hood turned toward Revan. "Nearby."

The Jedi Master said nothing in reply, his mouth an inscrutable line beneath his dark beard.

The figure reached up with gloved hands and pulled back her hood, revealing long, light brown hair and young, attractive features. Under different circumstances, Luke would have guessed her age at somewhere in her late twenties, though she was plainly far older than that.

"My body has spent millennia in stasis," the woman said, still gazing directly at Revan, "though my mind has been free to search the stars for you. Where have you been, my Revan? Why have you waited this long to return to me?"

"I am not your Revan," the Jedi Master replied calmly, crossing his arms.

The woman's lip curled in a sneer. "Perhaps not," she said disdainfully. "I no longer sense the darkness within you. Have you given up, let yourself become a pawn of the Jedi as they once tried to make you? How disappointing. You once showed such promise, such power. It would be a pity if I had to destroy you the way I have the rest of my enemies."

"I will defend myself if I have to, Bastila," Revan said quietly, so quietly Luke almost didn't hear him. "Don't… don't make me."

"What could you do against me?" Bastila said scornfully, spreading her arms to indicate the room around them. "I have legions of our Children ready to obey my every command, and beyond that I have taken control of the Star Forge itself! You yourself showed me how to harness its power, and I will use it against you if I must."

She lowered her hands to the railing and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Once, I offered you a choice, to cast aside the shackles of the Jedi Council and take your place as the rightful Dark Lord. Together, we slaughtered those fools the Council had sent with you, then we destroyed your treacherous apprentice Malak." She extended a gloved hand toward him. "I offer you that choice again, Revan. Cast aside the weak and pathetic Light, and take your place at my side once more. The galaxy is fractured and unstable, ripe for an invasion. Together, we can seize the power we have always deserved!"

Revan lowered his hands to his sides, steadily meeting her searching gaze. "I am not that man," he said, his voice firm despite its softness. "The servants of darkness may describe the Light as weak and pathetic, but that does not make it so, as you will find out if you push me. I am a Sith Lord no longer. I am, as I should have always been, a Jedi."

Bastila's face twisted with contemptuous malevolence. "So be it… Jedi."

She raised her hands from the railing, and a scintillating storm of lightning screamed down at them.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: If you don't know where Bollux and Blue Max come from... well, I'm sad for you. ;) Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	19. Teeth of the Dragon

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Nineteen<strong>  
>(Teeth of the Dragon)<p>

Mara's lightsaber sprang into her hand almost without her thinking about it as she hurled herself to the side, dodging the sizzling blast of purple-blue Force Lightning. She turned her leap into a roll, coming up into a crouch with her magenta blade ignited and angled in front of her defensively.

Everything seemed to pause for a breath as everyone in the room chose their targets, and then things erupted into absolute chaos.

Bastila hurled herself at Revan with an almost inhuman howl of fury, and he calmly met her charge with dual lightsabers ignited. She produced a double-bladed red lightsaber from within her cloak and immediately went on the offensive, spinning and slashing in a deadly dance.

The High Priestess and Mara chose each other as targets in the same moment, and their respective opening Force pushes knocked one another backwards a few steps. As she steadied her footing, Mara heard the doors to the viewing platform opening behind her, and then an angry crowd rushed in. Luke and Vader met their charge together, fighting side-by-side against the growing mob.

Mara shifted aside to avoid a blast of lightning the priestess hurled at her, and this nearly placed her head in the path of one of Bastila's wild lightsaber slashes, but her danger sense flared just in time. The humming scarlet blade came close enough, though, that Mara saw a few strands of red-gold hair flutter to the deck beside her.

To gain some space, Mara took a few running steps and threw her body into a Force-assisted twisting somersault that carried her up to the balcony spanning the rear of the room. Immediately upon landing, she threw out her hand and sent a powerful Force push at the High Priestess, one that off-balanced her opponent long enough for her to sprint forward a few steps, lightsaber raised high.

The priestess raised her hands as Mara slashed down, and bolts of lightning arced between her fingers, actually managing to halt the blade's momentum. Mara's lightsaber whined ominously in her hands from the feedback, and she stepped back, raising one eyebrow in grudging respect.

"Never seen that one before," she commented. "Nice hat, by the way."

With that, she tugged down on the elaborate metal headdress with the Force. The High Priestess cried out as the twists of metal gouged into her forehead, and Mara ruthlessly stepped in to stab her lightsaber into the woman's chest.

"And _that,_" she scoffed as the High Priestess slumped to the ground, "is why I make a point of not wearing silly things on my head."

Once again her danger sense flared, and she reflexively twisted to the side just as Bastila landed from a long back-flip up onto the balcony, slashing out at her with one of her lightsaber's crimson blades.

Mara deflected the blow, ducking as Bastila swiveled the long hilt of her weapon and struck horizontally with the other end. She attempted to use a sweep kick on the other woman, but Bastila leaped up and back again, putting a few meters of distance between them.

For a moment they paused, eyeing one another silently. Mara had been expecting Revan to make his way up here, but out of the corner of her eye she saw he'd been caught in the press of robed figures below, and was now fighting alongside Luke and Vader.

"That was my granddaughter you killed," Bastila hissed viciously, her yellow eyes burning with fury as she spun the hilt of her lightsaber through her hands, the blades humming a fiery path through the air.

"Don't blame me for finishing a fight _you_ started," Mara replied, calmly shifting into a defensive stance. "We told you this didn't have to turn violent."

The dark woman made no reply, but leaped forward with a cry of rage, spinning her lightsaber through fast infinity loops as she charged.

Rather than try and block the wild onslaught, Mara leaped into a high backward somersault, landing atop what looked like the remnants of a stasis tank, one of many scattered about the expansive room. Quickly she threw her lightsaber up at a power cable she'd noted earlier, one that spanned a substantial portion of the ceiling. Bastila tried to jump up to slash at her, but Mara hit her with a Force push in midair, knocking her back down.

As the Sith woman regained her footing, Mara tensed her legs, gathered the Force, and leaped up and out, catching her returning lightsaber with one hand and the now free-swinging end of the cable with the other. Her momentum carried her out in a wide arc over the main floor of the room, and she tensed, calculating angles.

When she judged her position to be ideal, Mara threw her lightsaber again, this time at the enormous viewport overlooking the factory floor below them. The magenta blade carved out only a relatively minor hole, but air pressure did the rest, and shattered the viewport back toward the factory with a great rush of wind. With a grim smirk, she noted Bastila struggling to keep her footing in the gale, finally yanking at the clasp of her cloak to let it fly away.

While her opponent was thus distracted, Mara finished her swing and let go of the cable, soaring in a long arc down towards Bastila. A tug of the Force brought her lightsaber back to her, and she caught it in midair, but did not yet ignite the blade.

She crashed into Bastila with enough force to knock her down, and they both rolled along the metal decking for a few meters. When Bastila tried to call her dropped lightsaber to herself with the Force, Mara got her own grip on it, and it hovered between them, moving a few centimeters toward one, then back toward the other.

Unexpectedly, Bastila reversed direction with the lightsaber and sent it hurtling toward Mara, igniting one of the blades on the way. Mara jumped aside, ending up dangerously close to the gaping shattered viewport, the wind tugging at her hair and jacket.

She was about to brace herself against the wall with one hand and struggle to her feet in the wind when a dark shape vaulted up and landed solidly in front of her. Revan glanced briefly over his shoulder at her, his face grimly determined, and Mara nodded once in acknowledgment.

By this point Bastila had retrieved her lightsaber, and she charged at Revan even more ferociously than she had at Mara. Their lightsabers met with a tremendous crash of sparks and noise, and for several moments Mara could only watch as they drove one another back and forth across the broad balcony, both displaying impressive skill.

Bastila stepped back a pace for a powerful overhand blow with one blade, which Revan caught by crossing his own blades in an X. She attempted to slice upwards with the other blade, but he brought his right lightsaber down to catch that strike, as well.

Their blades locked, they strained against one another, the hilts of their weapons whining and the blades sparking at the points of contact around them.

"Last… chance, Revan," Bastila grunted. "Join me again… or die."

Revan's face turned sorrowful. "It's not too late, Bastila," he said, softly enough that Mara almost couldn't hear him. "You can still turn back from the Dark Side."

Bastila sneered. "Why would I ever give up strength for weakness?"

With a powerful shove, he pushed her backwards, holding his red lightsaber between them as he gestured to the ongoing battle below with the other. "Weakness, Bastila? Look around you; this battle is lost. You cannot defeat us, and you know it. Please, don't throw your life away. Turn away from the Dark Side, as I have. It fools you into thinking you are powerful, but in the end it will be your downfall."

"My downfall?" Bastila scoffed. "I am stronger than you and your pathetic Jedi could ever dream. I could squash you like an insect beneath my boot, you and all your friends."

"Both of us know that's not true," Revan replied. "Your words are boastful, but I sense your doubt. You know we are stronger. Again, I ask you, I _beg_ you: turn away from the Dark Side. You were a Jedi once, as I was, a protector of the galaxy. Join me, and stand at my side again."

Bastila hesitated, her uncertainty plain. But after a moment her expression twisted into a sneer again, and Revan's disappointment was clear even before she spoke.

"You are not the man I knew anymore; you've become a fool." With that she attacked, spinning her lightsaber blades at him.

Revan skillfully caught both of her blades on his own. "I am not the man you knew," he replied thickly, his voice choked with emotion. He shifted his lightsabers, slowly forcing her to raise the hilt of her double-sided weapon above her head to keep him back. "And clearly you are not the woman I knew, either."

With a sudden, violent movement, he brought his left leg up to kick her in the stomach. As she stumbled back, he whipped his red left lightsaber through the hilt of her weapon, leaving it in smoking halves. While her blades sputtered out, Revan put his entire right side into a thrust with his blue lightsaber, which stabbed through Bastila's heart to emerge from her back.

She grunted, face twisted with pain, and then slowly slipped backwards off his blade to collapse to the deck, dead.

For a long moment Revan stood over her body, his face strained with sadness and grief, his blades glowing in his hands, the wind tugging at his long black hair, until finally expression left his features, leaving them as cold and hard as the mask he sometimes wore.

Wordlessly, he let his blades disengage, then returned the hilts to his belt. He stepped over to Mara and extended a hand, and she took it, letting him haul her up to her feet.

Below, Luke and Vader had managed to seal off the door and had finished the last of their opponents. They stood a few meters apart, sharing a grim look among the slumped bodies.

Mara looked back at Revan, seeing him gazing again at the corpse. "I'm sorry," she said. "You must have cared for her very much."

"Not her," he answered slowly, almost inaudible over the wind, "The Bastila I knew, my wife, was nothing like her. She rejected the Dark Side as I did. We didn't let it twist us into… what we were here." He looked back up at Mara, and though his expression was hard, his dark eyes were filled with pain. "We have work to do," he said tersely. "Let's get to it."

* * *

><p>Jaina paced through the main room of her quarters on the <em>Executor<em>, distractedly tossing her lightsaber back and forth between her hands. Her hair was tied back, and she wore the dark gray fatigues she had come to think of as her 'off-duty uniform' in her time here on her grandfather's warship.

It was odd, being part of her grandfather's army and yet not; for weeks she had worked with and fought alongside Colonel LaRone's unit, sat in on Grand Admiral Thrawn's strategy meetings, and yet she had no official rank beyond Jedi Knight. She was an agent of the Republic here among soldiers of the Empire, treated with an uneasy respect by most of the crew, those that would actually speak to her. She had only professional working relationships here, no friendships; Ami and Tahiri had gone back to Alderaan with Tionne weeks ago, and she hardly ever saw Malysa, since Thrawn kept the Jedi Master busy with… whatever it was he had her doing. Jaina hadn't even had time to ask her between all the meetings, drills, and battles with the Vong fleet they were relentlessly pursuing.

Well, perhaps there were a few friendly faces around; since his transfer to the _Executor_ along with his fighter squadrons a little over a week ago, Colonel Fel had made a point of inviting Jaina to join his personal squadron for meals, and her conversations with him had certainly been interesting.

But she had other concerns at the moment, she thought to herself as she continued to pace, tossing her lightsaber from one hand to the other with absent, metronome-like precision. For instance, the general uneasy feeling vaguely associated with her brother had not gone away; both of her brothers, in fact. Something… something was wrong, something she couldn't quite articulate even to herself. Some kind of danger was slowly approaching Anakin, and her inability to warn him frustrated her. She could only hope he sensed it himself, he or one of the other Jedi with him.

And Jacen… his absence was somehow more unsettling than ever.

The door to her quarters buzzed, and she looked up. "Yes?"

As if he had been summoned by her thoughts, the door slid aside to reveal Colonel Fel, dressed as always in his black and red uniform and polished boots. "We're coming up on the Etti system," he said by way of greeting. "The Grand Admiral intends to launch fighters and attack as soon as we drop out of hyperspace; the stealth Interdictor he sent ahead is already in position."

Jaina allowed herself a minute smile as she gestured for him to step inside. "I'm glad we're not at war with the Empire anymore."

Fel slightly raised one eyebrow in equal humor as the door closed behind him. "So am I." He paused, then continued. "I came to ask you if you would fly with my squadron in the initial engagement; we're one short, as you know, and we could use a pilot of your skill."

"You can't just reassign one of your men?" Jaina asked teasingly.

Fel's eyebrow rose again, and the corners of his lips quirked slightly. "And miss the chance to have a Solo in my squadron? That's just bad strategy."

She let out a light chuckle, then nodded once. "See you out there, Colonel Fel."

He inclined his head slightly. "And you, Knight Solo." Then he turned and left.

As the door closed again, Jaina gave her lightsaber a slight twirl as she tossed it to her other hand, smiling slightly to herself.

* * *

><p>On the command bridge of the derelict warship, Anakin Solo paced in front of the forward viewports in unwitting imitation of his sister, tossing his lightsaber back and forth between his hands. Beyond the viewports, the dark bulk of the warship was almost invisible in the darkness, only a few scattered running lights giving it a faint outline against the stars.<p>

"So what does '_Khadmous' _mean, anyway?" Anakin asked Bollux, who had told them the name of the warship on the way up to the bridge. "I've never heard that word before."

"Neither have I, sir," the old labor droid replied. "The warship's files offer no insight into the meaning of its name."

"Something pretentious, I bet," Blue Max said dismissively.

"It's from an old, old legend; Alderaanian, I think," said Jenn from where she sat on the edge of the command walkway, looking down into the starboard crew pit where Whistler, Max, and Corran worked. "Khadmous was a prince who was fleeing his enemies after a coup in his father's palace. A wizard gave him some magic dragon's teeth, and told him to throw them into a fertile field and tend it for three days and three nights. Eventually the teeth sprang up into fully formed soldiers, and Khadmous used them to take back his father's palace and kill all his enemies."

Max gave an electronic scoff. "Like I said, pretentious."

"So, what?" Corran said without looking up from his screen, "This ship, the _Khadmous_, was supposed to use those Spaarti cloning cylinders down in the cargo holds as dragon's teeth?"

Jenn shrugged. "Maybe. Any insights to offer, Bollux?"

"None, I'm afraid," the droid replied. "As I stated previously, Max and I have been unable to unlock the captain's private files to determine this warship's mission. With Whistler's help, we should be able to finally break the encryption."

"I guess Stumpy actually is useful for something," Max said grudgingly, and Whistler squawked a sarcastic-sounding reply Anakin didn't quite catch.

Jenn gave a sort of noncommittal nod, and was silent for a short time. Then she looked back down at them. "What kind of a name is 'Bollux' for a droid, anyway?" she asked, sounding amused. "A bit rude, isn't it?"

"Why, does it mean something?" Ben asked, looking up at her from his seat next to Corran and Whistler. "I thought it was just a nickname based on his designation letters, like 'Artoo' or 'Threepio', or something."

Jenn's expression shifted to one Anakin well recognized, that of an adult debating whether or not to tell something potentially risqué to a younger person. Throughout his childhood, his mother had worn it often, whenever his father had said something particularly colorful and Anakin or one of his siblings asked her what it meant.

Ben noted it, also. "We are both seventeen, you know," he pointed out. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."

Any reply she might have made was interrupted by Whistler's triumphant bleep as they finally decrypted the mission files. He scanned them at high speed, then prepared a short summary for his master, displaying it on the screen in front of him.

"It seems Professor Talmak was right," Corran said with a slight smile as he swiveled his chair to look up at them. "The _Khadmous_ was specially modified and outfitted for the journey out here to investigate an unusual energy reading one of the military telescope arrays picked up. Then-Chancellor Palpatine organized the mission himself, and swore the commanders to secrecy; the ship's captain and the colonel in charge of the marines were both ordered not to tell even their men the extent of the true mission, which was to investigate the energy source but also to scout out and then set up an emergency fallback base out here which the Republic could use to build up its forces in secret if the war effort went badly."

Ben frowned in thought. "Considering Palpatine was commanding both sides of that war himself, the war effort going badly must have meant if the Jedi were somehow able to survive Order 66; if they forced him out of power he'd have been able to flee out here and build up another army to use against them eventually."

"Only, the troopers grown on the way out here went insane and killed everyone," Corran said, idly running the edge of his thumb down the whiskers at the side of his chin. "Leaving this a ghost ship."

"Any ideas on what we should do with it?" Jenn asked.

Corran shrugged. "There are always uses for a warship, even one this old and deteriorated. We don't know what we're going to find out at this second Star Forge." He looked over at Ben. "Speaking of that, did you manage to find anything with this bucket's long-range sensors?"

The young man nodded, gesturing to his monitor. "There's a lot of ship activity near it; if the readings I got were even half right, the Vong are massing a really huge fleet out there, one big enough to take a dozen star systems."

"It's going to be tough to sneak in and check out the Star Forge with that many ships flying around," Anakin pointed out concernedly.

"The _Sabre_ has some stealth capabilities, and I know a few things we can do to stay hidden besides," Corran said. He stood and gave Anakin an amused look. "If you're going to be a CorSec officer and chase smugglers, first you've got to know all their tricks."

Anakin chuckled. "You never managed to catch my dad and Chewie," he said as the group left the bridge, heading back down to the hangar where they'd left the _Sabre._

Corran grinned. "That's because the one time we met before I joined Rogue Squadron, I came so close to catching Han Solo and his hairy friend that they knew better than to stick their noses into my patrol sector again."

As they left the bridge, none of them noticed the slight, almost imperceptible flicker of motion outside the viewports.

* * *

><p>"<em>Nothing."<em>

In the _Millennium Falcon_'s cockpit, Han Solo frowned at the small holographic image of Talon Karrde. "What do you mean, nothing?"

"_I mean nothing_," the information broker replied, "_There's been no activity from this fire cult in weeks. It's like they've gone into hiding again."_ Karrde gave them a half-smile. "_And if _I_ can't find anything, you know there's nothing to find."_

"As you've proved a number of times," Leia said with a slight smile of her own. "We'll keep looking, as well. Contact us if you find anything."

"_You'll be the first to know,_" Karrde promised, then signed off.

In the copilot's seat beside them, Chewbacca growled a question.

"I don't know," Han said with a frustrated shrug. "Even if we've got special permission from the Emperor, we can't just keep flying all over the Empire chasing rumors. The Vong are moving more and more troops into the Republic all the time; I feel like we should be _there_ instead of here, especially since Fel has most of his Imperial Knights doing what we're doing."

"I agree," Leia said, frustration equally evident in her voice. "I sense… trouble, but I haven't been able to get anything more specific. We would probably be more useful back at the front."

"It's decided then," Han said, swiveling to the controls. "Chewie, plot the jump."

* * *

><p>From what Mara could sense, Darth Vader was enjoying himself far too much as he chased the rest of the cultists down to one of the lower hangar bays. She could sense their fear and panic as he relentlessly pursued them, using the Force to slam doors closed along their route so that only one path was left open to them. She and Luke had asked Vader not to kill any more of the cultists, but it remained to be seen whether or not he would comply.<p>

Revan had taken control of the Star Forge, and remained up in its control chamber, pushing the newly manufactured droids through repair sequences, fixing what damage they could and patching all exterior holes in preparation for the transition back to their home universe.

Mara, Luke, and R2-D2 were in the upper hangar bay that held the _Argent Hawk_, working to connect its specially modified hyperdrive to the Star Forge's systems. The immensely powerful reactor core of the Star Forge, drawing its fuel from nothing less than a star, was more than adequate to sustain the transfer field and return them safely to where they belonged, away from this nightmarish, distorted version of the galaxy.

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked curiously, glancing up from his tools momentarily.

Mara set down her own hydrospanner and sat back on the deck, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Jacen," she said sadly. "I was just wondering if we should try to go back for his body."

Luke set aside his tools and sat down next to her, letting out a short, sad sigh. "It's too risky," he said. "I want to, myself, but Jacen and Qeris are dead, and there's nothing more we can do for them now."

"We can destroy the monster that killed them," Mara said darkly.

Luke looked over at her, gently reproving. "Mara, that's revenge. Jedi do not take revenge."

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "It's just… It's what your father wants to do," she said in a half-desperate attempt at justification.

"My father is not a Jedi," Luke replied with maddening calm. "He is no servant of the Light, as we are. As _you_ are."

Mara sighed as she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I know," she said quietly. "I know. But it still doesn't seem right to just leave, and let their murder go unpunished."

His hand rose to her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with emotion; grief, frustration, and surprisingly, a hint of anger.

"I know what you mean," he said. "A part of me, deep down, wants to unleash Darth Vader on his grandson's killers and just let what happens, happen. I'm ashamed of that part of myself, a part that shouldn't even exist after all my years as a Jedi, but… it's there."

"That's the difference between you and your father, I suppose," Mara said, lifting her head from his shoulder to look into his deep blue eyes. "He let his emotions control him, he let that part of himself loose to do whatever it wanted, and he became what he is now. You've chosen to keep that part of yourself under tight control, to never let it out to do that kind of harm." She took his hand, and squeezed it. "You showed me how to do the same." Her lips quirked wryly. "I suppose I should listen to you more often."

"You really should," Luke replied with equal humor.

Mara smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "Come on, Skywalker," she said, getting to her feet. "Let's get back to work. We have a galaxy to save. Again," she added with a smirk.

He smiled back, but still she could see in his eyes a reflection of her own pain. Jacen was gone, but not, she knew, forgotten.

* * *

><p>"That's right," Corran murmured to the passing flight of coralskippers, "nothing out here but boring old meteors. Just keep right on going."<p>

The four Jedi were gathered in the _Jade Sabre_'s dim cockpit, anxiously watching the swarm of Yuuzhan Vong vessels moving around the tremendous bronze shape of the second Star Forge above this system's sun. After surreptitiously joining a group of meteors that were passing close to the gathering fleet and then powering down almost all systems, they were observing the Vong with passive sensors relayed through a series of deployed sensor buoys, which had come pre-disguised as chunks of high-metal-content rock.

Jenn silently thanked Mara Jade Skywalker for having the foresight to keep such things stocked aboard her vessel, as well as incorporating a number of other stealth systems into the ship itself. Supposing their respective missions went well and they all met up again eventually, Mara was definitely the first person Jenn was going to for help with modifications once she got her own ship again.

She let out the breath she'd been holding as the coralskippers continued on their patrol circuit, taking no notice of the _Sabre._

"I sense a Jedi on that thing," Ben announced into the tense silence, gesturing at the distant Star Forge. "Not just a Force-user; a Jedi. But I don't know if she senses us yet."

"She?" Corran asked, half-turning to look back at the young man.

"I can tell that much," Ben said. "She's female, and non-human, I think. There's something… odd about her, though."

"Yeah," Anakin agreed, eyes also half-closing in concentration. "She's alive, and using her power, but at the same time she's sort of… blank. I'm not sure how to describe it."

Jenn was about to stretch out with her own senses when a tremor in the Force made her look back to the rear of the cockpit.

She let out an involuntary startled gasp, for there stood a tall figure shrouded in an ash-gray robe, hands at his sides. The skin of his hands bore strange red, orange, yellow and black tattoos, making his fingers appear to be aflame.

"I thank you, Jedi, for showing me the way to this station, this source of limitless power," the figure said in a deep, raspy voice.

"Who-" Corran half-shouted, leaping to his feet and drawing his lightsaber.

"It's him!" Anakin shouted in alarm, reaching for his own weapon.

"How did you get on our ship?" Jenn demanded, drawing and igniting her cyan lightsaber.

Unperturbed, the figure reached up and lowered his hood, revealing a bald human head similarly tattooed to appear his skin was aflame. Between the tattoos and the scars they incorporated, his age was impossible to determine; he could have been anywhere from twenty to seventy, his face barely recognizable as human. His eyes were twin burning orange embers, gleaming with rage and madness.

"You cannot harm me," he said with a slow grin, revealing oddly white teeth. "And I will not harm you. Not yet."

"What do you want?" Corran said tautly, his blade angled toward the figure. The sensors beeped behind him, but none of the group turned away to see why, focused on the figure.

"I am Pyrron," the man rasped, ignoring him. "The Burned Lord, the Igniter of the Fire that will purify this overgrown galaxy." He spread his hands, showing that even his palms were tattooed. "Each of you four are strong. As I did, you would survive the Fire. If you accept my offer, if you will submit yourselves to pass through the flames as I did, you may join me as embers to stoke the coming inferno." He smiled again, the disturbing gleam of insanity in his smoldering orange eyes. "An inferno I will feed with this station, this ancient factory shining with power. We will incinerate the overgrowth, the unworthy, to leave only the strongest behind."

Ben drew himself up. "We're Jedi," he said firmly. "If you think we'd join you in doing something like that, you're even crazier than you look."

Pyrron flicked him a contemptuous glance. "If you are not part of the Fire, then you will be destroyed by it."

Anakin moved to stand next to his cousin. "Try it."

"You are fools to turn away from such power," the Burned Lord said warningly.

Jenn fixed him with an equally warning glare. "I've killed stronger men than you," she said. "Now get off this ship."

Pyrron turned his smoldering orange eyes back to her, and his charred lips drew back in a sneer. "I am not on this ship." He pointed past them out of the forward viewports. "I am on _that_ one."

Jenn looked back over her shoulder to see the immense shape of the _Khadmous_ hurtle overhead, firing with multiple banks of turbolasers at the Vong ships swarming up to meet it. The warship accelerated heedlessly, ignoring the punishing blasts slamming into its hull. She could only watch in horrified fascination as the still mostly-dead hulk soared faster and faster straight at the tremendous bronze shape of the Star Forge.

"He's gone," she heard Anakin say behind her, sounding startled.

Corran snapped his fingers, and she saw him gesture sharply out of the corner of her eye. "Turrets," he ordered tersely, and she heard the boys leaving the cockpit as Corran dropped back into the pilot's seat.

Distractedly, Jenn lowered herself into the copilot's seat, still staring at the _Khadmous_. One of the command towers had been blown completely away by Vong fire, but still it kept on, accelerating still more until its massive engines glowed white-hot against the blackness of space. It showed no signs of slowing down, headed right for the central sphere among the spires of the Star Forge.

The dull thump of the turrets as the flight of coralskippers came back for them snapped Jenn out of her reverie, and she bent to the controls, working with Corran to bring the ship's systems back online as quickly as they were able.

Outside, the Vong scrambled after the _Khadmous_ like a ravening pack of predators, but it paid them no mind, now concentrating fire on an area of the Star Forge's hull. Turbolasers flashed through the inky void, slamming again and again into the armored hull of the ancient station. The targeted area began to glow magma-bright from the relentless fire, and a moment later the _Khadmous_ released a fusillade of missiles and torpedoes.

Fire bloomed out into space, then slowly faded as the vented oxygen was consumed. Tiny pieces of debris fluttered out like a startled flock of avians, light flashing off the fragments as they spread out and away from the hole.

"Whistler, you got that jump plotted yet?" Corran asked, his hands flying over the controls. The droid bleeped back that he was almost finished, to which Corran replied, "We may not _have_ three more minutes!"

With tremendous force, the _Khadmous_ crashed into the hole it had blasted, slamming into the Star Forge like a giant metal battering ram. Such was its speed that the warship sank into the huge station almost to its still-glowing engines. The remaining command tower snapped off, spinning out into space, where it was quickly consumed by vengeful Vong fire.

Sparks and spurts of flame flickered out from the hole for several seconds, until finally the glowing white engines faded as well.

Then came a twinge in the Force, one that quickly turned to an indistinct feeling of roasting heat, and the Vong ships outside scattered into disorganized chaos. Though she could not feel it through the Force, Jenn recognized what was happening; the Burned Lord was turning his powers upon the interior of the station, using whatever abilities he had commanded to destroy planets to incinerate everything inside.

That she could sense nothing of all that death in the Force somehow made it all the more ghastly.

"Almost in position for the jump," Corran reported, hands gripped tightly around the flight controls.

The proximity alarm beeped again, and Jenn looked over at the monitor to see another incoming ship, this one not of Yuuzhan Vong manufacture, but made of metal and ceramic like the _Sabre_ itself. After a further scan, the computer identified it as a Corellian corvette, heavily armed and modified.

"That must be the ship he used to follow us here," Jenn observed.

"Tractors?" Corran asked, angling away from it.

Jenn shook her head. "Not that I can see. They seem to be ignoring us."

"Good," Corran said with a relieved grin. "Because we are out of here."

Just as he reached for the hyperdrive lever, Jenn saw a flash of green turbolaser fire from the corvette. She started to warn him, but as she turned, the bolts slammed into them just as he threw the lever.

The hyperdrive gave an odd, unnatural howl, and the entire ship bucked, lurching sharply to the side. Her head hit the bulkhead beside her, and then she faded into blackness.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Big things happening in this chapter, and even bigger in the next one. Major thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	20. Come to Life

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty<strong>  
>(Come to Life)<p>

Jacen could barely muster the energy to open his eyes as the door to his cell opened yet again and the maddeningly precise sound of heels clicking against the deck reached his ears. He remained slumped against the back wall, hands resting limply over his stomach.

His tormentor strode in, a triumphant smile spread across her cruelly beautiful face. Today she wore a trim, close-fitting burgundy gown of vaguely militaristic cut with wrist-length sleeves and a high collar, her long hair pulled back into a severe single braid.

"Your friends have truly abandoned you now," Lady Vader said, stopping perhaps a meter from his feet. Her yellow eyes gleamed with dark amusement.

Jacen merely maintained eye contact, saying nothing.

"Some time ago," she went on, "my men and I were finally able to get the location of the Star Forge out of the computer in the temple below. I dispatched scout ships at once, but they found nothing, only a group of primitives on one of the system's planets who claimed they had once lived on the 'Holy Forge' before a group of 'demons' boarded the station and killed their Mother, whoever that was." Lady Vader raised one eyebrow. "From the sound of things, all this happened only a few days ago. Their description of the entity who chased them into the ship in which they were deposited on the planet sounded quite familiar."

She withdrew a small portable holoprojector and activated it, displaying an image of Darth Vader in full armor, taken from the Death Star's security recordings. "They recognized this man immediately, meaning your friends were indeed the ones who boarded the Star Forge." Her expression hardened. "Where have they taken the station?"

The best Jacen could manage was a whisper. "Somewhere you can never find it."

"Don't be so smug, my young Jedi," said the Empress, crossing her arms. "It also means they've given up on you. Any thoughts you may have been entertaining about escaping or being rescued are now entirely futile. No one is coming to rescue you, and you have nowhere to go even if by some miracle you managed to free yourself." She leaned slightly closer. "Your only choices now are to join me… or to die. You have no other options."

She turned and left, and he slumped back against the wall, knowing it was true.

She was right. Revan and the others were gone, and there was no reason for them to come back here. They thought he was dead. And escape? What was the point? He knew almost nothing about this version of the galaxy, no safe havens from the forces of this Empress. She would just catch him again, and kill him. Or worse.

Why had he even come along on this expedition? He had thought the Force had guided him here, urged him to go along for some greater purpose he hadn't known at the time, but he couldn't think of anything of importance that he had accomplished.

Was this the plan? For him to just die in some dungeon where his family would never know what had happened to him? What kind of destiny was that?

He put his head into his hands and felt himself start to slip into black despair.

* * *

><p>At some point, he dozed off, and awoke to a gentle, warm pressure at his right side. Without moving, he glanced over to see Qeris sitting next to him, leaning against him with her head resting on his shoulder.<p>

Beneath the coarse, untrimmed whiskers that had grown during the weeks of his imprisonment and torture, Jacen smiled. He had no idea why his captors put them together sometimes, but he drew strength from her familiar presence, one friendly face among an army of aggressors.

He could tell from her soft, regular breathing that Qeris was asleep, and he kept still so as not to disturb her.

There was one way, Jacen told himself. One way both he and Qeris could survive this. Others in his family had survived worse than this; his grandfather, for instance.

When he was only a few years older than Jacen was now, Darth Vader had stepped forward from the chaos of the end of the Clone Wars and seized control. Through sheer force of will, he bent the galaxy to his purposes and _forced_ it into a state of peace. He overcame his trials, pushed past his pain, and _acted_.

What could he do? He had that same power, that strength of will, even if he couldn't touch it right now.

Qeris was right. He _was_ Darth Vader's heir, not in philosophy, but in _will_.

He thought of what his grandfather had said to him just before this whole ordeal had begun: _"There are no breaks, no reprieves in the middle of battle. No matter your injuries, your exhaustion; you must maintain the will to fight at all times if you are to survive. Never give up."_

"_Never give up."_

He felt Qeris stirring at his side, and as soon as he was sure she was awake enough to understand him, he said, "I know what I have to do."

Her voice was ragged, but he heard a note of hope. "Do you? What is it?"

Jacen's face hardened into a humorless, resigned smile. "The only thing I can do."

He paused for a long moment.

"I have to join her."

* * *

><p>Lady Vader was, of course, gloatingly triumphant when he told her during her next visit. He said to her that he was angry, more angry than he had ever been in his life. His allies had abandoned him, he said, left him behind to face her tortures. The people who claimed to love him, he said, had left him for dead. There was nothing left for him, he told her, no further reason to keep resisting. She wanted him as an apprentice? Now she had him.<p>

She had her soldiers carry him out of the cell, for he was too weak to walk on his own, and take him down to the medical center. Her doctors and medics worked on him for what felt like days, healing his injuries - but leaving the scars, at their Empress' command - and restoring him to health.

Time passed in a numb haze.

* * *

><p>"At last, I know your origins."<p>

He awoke to see the Empress standing at the foot of his bed in the cold green-walled infirmary. She wore a small, smug smile, and he could feel her satisfaction.

_Actually_ feel it, he realized with a start; the Force was with him again.

Lady Vader waited patiently for him to realize this, then smirked as he decided not to take action and lay back against the pillows again.

"A short time ago, my men were quite surprised by the sudden appearance of a ship in one of the chambers of the temple on the moon below," she went on, "particularly because the exterior entrance to that chamber is frozen over, and there is no way to get a shuttle of that size inside. Naturally, they boarded it, and captured three men who identified themselves as scientists working for, of all people, my father."

The only reaction he gave her was to nod once, confirming it was true.

She continued. "Being depressingly weak-willed, they quickly broke and told me everything. They, and _you_, are from a parallel universe, an alternate reality in which my father is still alive." She paused, sneering. "Disgustingly, I seem to be a Jedi there, meekly serving the Republic instead of ruling the galaxy as is my right. How pathetic."

He made no reply.

Lady Vader frowned slightly at his lack of reaction, but went on anyway. "Your galaxy is fractured, under siege by an invading horde from beyond the stars. In addition, some mysterious cult is destroying planets with fire, obviously in service to some broader plan." She leaned forward, lips drawing back from her perfect white teeth in a feral grin. "Your home, my young apprentice, is _ripe_ for conquest. Imagine what we could do to it with my fleet. We could be the first Sith Lords in history to rule over _two_ galaxies."

He drew his own lips back in imitation of her expression. "When do we leave?"

She seemed pleased by this. "As soon as you are ready."

When she was gone, he sank into meditation, extending himself into the Force.

And suddenly he knew exactly what to do.

* * *

><p>Days passed in recovery, and finally he was summoned to her throne room for the launch.<p>

He paused in the anteroom, looking at his reflection in the gleaming black walls. Her servants had remade him at her command; his formerly long, tousled and perpetually shaggy hair was now trimmed back to a severe military cut, and the ragged whiskers had been meticulously sculpted into a trim beard that descended from his temples along the line of his jaw, thin lines rising up to his mustache to neatly frame his mouth. He wore high, polished black boots of rich leather and a precisely tailored black Imperial uniform, the high-collared jacket of which was cinched by an intricately tooled leather belt, its buckle adorned with a gleaming aurodium and ebony Imperial emblem.

His gaze met that of the steely-eyed stranger reflected in the polished wall, knowing perfectly well whom he now resembled. He paused for a further moment, taking a long, slow breath and silently assuring himself that he had chosen the right course. All emotion faded from his face, leaving it a grim mask.

With a flick of the Force, he activated the controls to the door and entered the throne room, ignoring its rich draperies and furnishings, focusing instead on the high-backed throne at the far end, which sat on a broad balcony next to the expansive viewport that dominated the entire rear wall. The throne was turned away from him, facing the ringed gas giant outside and the fleet assembling below them, hundreds upon hundreds of ships waiting their turn to enter the Death Star and settle themselves inside for the journey to their latest conquest.

He sensed her there, waiting for him.

"I have meditated, my young apprentice," she said without turning to face him as he stopped at the foot of the stairs, "on what your name will be when you formally pledge yourself to the ways of the Sith and my service. Would you like to hear it?"

He merely waited in patient silence, neither denying nor giving assent.

The throne swiveled noiselessly, revealing the Empress sitting smugly upon it in another of her gowns of bright arterial red, her nails painted the same color. She gazed down at him with glowing yellow eyes, wine-dark lips quirked in a satisfied smile.

"In the service of the Dark Side, you shall be known as Darth… Caedus. Does it please you?"

Again, he said nothing, his face betraying no emotion.

Lady Vader's smile broadened. "As Darth Caedus, you will rend your home galaxy, leave it a broken ruin which we will then rebuild as we see fit." Her smile slowly turned much more sinister. "But first, a test. Before we launch our grand conquest of your home, you will demonstrate to me that you are irrevocably committed to this course, that you are not attempting to deceive me in some way," she said with a flash of her yellow eyes.

She pressed a button on the arm of her throne, and a pair of white-armored stormtroopers entered through a side door, dragging between them the limp, bedraggled form of Qeris, her black hair a mass of tangles, still wearing his earthy brown and forest-green tunic. They dropped her unceremoniously on the cold metal deck beside him, then departed. At a dismissive gesture from the Empress, the red-robed Royal Guards posted in pairs at all entrances also departed, leaving the three of them alone in the throne room.

Lady Vader swiftly stood and tossed an object down to him. He caught it reflexively, and recognized even before he looked at it his lightsaber, its familiar hilt a solid, reassuring weight in his hand.

"If you are telling me the truth," the Empress said, slowly descending the steps of the balcony, "if you are truly prepared to devote yourself to the Dark Side, then this will be a simple matter." She paused several steps above him, crossing her arms with a malicious smile. "Kill her."

Despite himself, he hesitated, and the Empress' eyes gleamed cruelly. "Oh, I know the two of you have grown closer during your shared imprisonment. You have talked for hours many nights after I left you both bleeding, drawing strength from one another, sharing in determination to remain unbroken despite my efforts."

She leaned forward slightly, lips parting in a sadistic sneer. "All part of my plan, of course. Things went even better than I expected. Even without what your thoughts betray to me, your growing feelings for her are quite plain. So… to prove your commitment, to prove that you will join me in destroying all that you once loved… you will plunge your blade through her heart." The Empress twisted her wrist a certain way, and the hilt of a lightsaber dropped out of her sleeve into her hand. "You will kill her, or I will kill you, now." She smiled maliciously again. "Decide, my son. Her death, or yours?"

He ignited his lightsaber, looking down past its emerald blade to Qeris' eyes, and he refused to allow himself to interpret what he saw there.

Slowly, so slowly, his hand moved the tip of his blade down to her heart beneath the tunic he had once worn, given to her out of decency and an attempt to offer some small measure of comfort in their shared misery.

Qeris met his eyes unblinkingly, motionlessly lying prone on the deck beside him, her life in his hands.

He looked up to the acidic yellow eyes of the Empress, then back down to meet the sea-green gaze of Qeris. Their eyes remained locked for long seconds.

This was his crucible. What he did in the next moment would determine who he was for the rest of his life.

He would either remain Jacen Solo… or become Darth Caedus.

Another long second passed as he continued to gaze down into Qeris' eyes.

Without expression, he twisted his wrist, lowered his arm, and expertly speared the tip of his lightsaber neatly into her chest.

She let out a quiet groan of pain, a sighing breath, and her eyes closed. As her head slumped to the side, her black hair slipped down to cover her face like a shroud.

He raised his arm and let his lightsaber go out, raising his eyes once again to the Empress.

"Good… good!" she said with malevolent pleasure, clapping her hands together once. "I knew you had it in you."

She spread her arms invitingly, and he began ascending the steps to her side. Together, they walked up the stairs and around the throne, pausing before the expansive window to survey the massive fleet spread around the Death Star.

"Truly," she said to him, reaching over to place a hand on his shoulder, "you are Darth Vader's heir, _my_ heir. Darth Caedus, my son."

He said nothing for a long moment, allowing them to stand in silence together before the conquering fleet. He waited, watching the ships and the enormous gray sphere of the other Death Star move through the wreckage of the fleet the Empress and her forces had been fighting when he had arrived here. He had never learned who they were, exactly, but now he did not care.

The past was gone. All that mattered was _now._

"You…" he said slowly, with glacial calm, "are not… my mother."

"Not technically, I suppose," Lady Vader replied airily. "But now," she gestured back to the still form of Qeris with one hand, the other tightening on his shoulder, "now I think we are close enough." She gestured with her free hand at her throne, a brief twitch of the Force. "There," she said. "Now a message is being relayed to my troops, telling them you, Darth Caedus, are my apprentice, and that they should obey your orders as they would my own."

She turned him with her hand, shifting it to his other shoulder, and he allowed her. "Come," she said, raising her hand to gesture to the broad black door at the far end of the throne room. "Let us review our troops." As they began to descend the stairs, her hand clenched into an avaricious fist. "Together, my son, we will rattle the stars with our fury."

"_You_…" he said thickly, his fingers shifting their grip on his lightsaber, "are _not…_ my mother."

Lady Vader paused, suspicion drawing across her face. "Lord Caedus, why do you persist?" When he did not reply, she peered more closely at him. "Answer me!"

Expressionless, he ignited his lightsaber, and she leaped back, face contorting with rage.

"_YOU!_" he roared, charging at her with blade angled before him.

She ignited her own lightsaber's blood-red blade, pulling it up to block his first strike. He pressed on, slamming emerald against ruby again and again, forcing her back up the staircase.

"_ARE!_"

Lady Vader lifted a hand from the hilt of her weapon, preparing to hurl a bolt of Force Lightning down at him, but he increased his speed, whirling his blade through such complicated patterns that she was forced to take hold of her lightsaber again and focus completely on defense. He funneled all his energy, all his focus, into his blade, until he felt like it became part of him, or he of it. _He_ was the weapon now.

"_NOT!_"

Relentlessly, he drove her up the stairs, their blades flashing and sparking between them. She was talented with the lightsaber, to be sure, and her skills more practiced, but his sheer fury and strength of will overpowered her nonetheless. He could see the panic growing in her eyes now, her horror at what she had let off the leash entirely too soon.

Furniture, draperies, and decorations leaped in desperate arcs at him from all sides. He slashed through some without looking, and some he merely ignored, allowing them to shatter over his back without so much as a flinch. He was focused now, absolutely focused, and nothing could keep him from his goal.

His target.

"_MY!"_

With an agile, acrobatic flip, he hurled himself up and over her, slapping aside her strike at him even at the apex of his arc. His boots touched down with a solid thud on the carpeted platform of the balcony, and he immediately slashed out and down with an angled two-handed blow to smash aside her lightsaber. In the next instant, he put his whole body into a kick that knocked the Empress backwards down the staircase, gown fluttering around her legs.

She landed heavily on her back at the foot of the stairs, breath leaving her chest in a great pained gust, her lightsaber rolling away from suddenly nerveless fingers. Above her, he backed up a few steps, reversing his lightsaber in his hand as he did so, and then sprinted forward into a powerful leap.

He soared down the steps in one great bound, legs tensed beneath him and his blade held in both hands above his head, point downwards.

The blade of his lightsaber plunged up to the hilt through the Empress' chest as he landed, and he left it there, pinning her to the deck as he knelt down next to her, bringing his left hand almost tenderly up to her cheek.

"_Mother_," Jacen finished in a husky whisper, his expression softening for just a moment.

Then his face hardened again, and his fingers turned to steely talons, his thumb curling up over Lady Vader's jaw to hold her head in place. Too weak to struggle, she merely looked up at him in shock as he extended his other hand to where Qeris lay beside them.

"You have _failed_," Jacen said, looking down into the eyes of his tormentor. "This is why the Sith have failed in the past, and will _always_ fail. You always try to take the best and brightest of us and tear them down to your level, to wallow in the filth until we become nothing more than entitled thugs, arrogant bullies who want only to ruin that which belongs to others, to spread their own misery to everyone else."

He leaned closer, and let his voice drop an octave. "I am taking your power, and I am going to use it in ways you never would, because I am no thug. I am no bully, no tyrant or conqueror. I am no Sith. I am a Jedi, a guardian of peace and justice, and now I am going to mete out upon you the justice you deserve."

Jacen closed his eyes in concentration as he placed his hand over the wound in Qeris' chest. Drawing deeply upon the Force, he mercilessly pulled energy from the Empress and channeled it into the prone Imperial Knight, devoting it to healing not just the wound he had caused, but all of her others as well. As the Empress had so casually attempted to end Qeris' life through him, he repurposed her energy instead to saving it, pouring his own power into the effort as well.

When the Empress was nothing but a dead husk beneath his fingers, he abandoned her and moved closer to Qeris, kneeling over her anxiously, searching for signs of life.

After three eternal, unbearable seconds, he felt a pulse in Qeris' neck beneath his fingers, and she convulsed once, then coughed and drew in a deep gasping breath, her eyes fluttering open.

He gathered her into his arms, sobbing with relief. "I'm sorry," he gasped out, feeling tears escaping his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Her arms went around his back, and she embraced him as tightly as she was able. "Do not… apologize," she panted, voice strained with lingering pain. She shifted, leaning back against his arms, and took his face in both hands. "You did… what was necessary."

Then she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, long and deeply.

Jacen pulled back in surprise, looking into her sea-green eyes only centimeters away from his. "Even after what I did?" he asked softly.

Qeris looked back at him with respect and reassurance. "Because you had the strength… to do it," she said, her voice firm despite its pained weakness.

Then she kissed him again, and despite all that happened to him, all the troubles that were yet to come, Jacen allowed himself this moment to simply _be_.

* * *

><p>-\-


	21. Smoke on the Horizon

**-/\-**

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-One<br>**(Smoke on the Horizon)

_Burning, burning…_

_Ben Skywalker stood in the midst of a great hall, the walls and ceiling dark as midnight, the floor an expanse of black swirling marble dotted with pale reflective specks that gleamed in the darkness._

_A sharp burning smell permeated the air, cloying and nauseating. It smelled _wrong_, alarmingly prominent, like scorched plastic._

_He realized his family stood around him, mother, father and sister arranged in a circle around a small ring of stones sheltering a cheerily blazing campfire, warming themselves against the withering chill beyond the flickering orange ring of light. They spoke to one another, but he could not hear their voices, could not himself speak, no matter how he tried. The cloying, burning stench filled his nostrils, and as he looked down he realized the fire was not fueled by wooden logs but lightsabers, stacked in a cone and melting in the flames._

_Burning, burning…_

_The fire leaped up from the ring of stones out at them, and suddenly they were burning, _he_ was burning, and the fire was spreading across the subtly glowing marble floor. Still he could not speak, could not move, only watch as the flames built into blinding brightness._

_A shrouded figure stood with arms raised, and as Ben watched, a great cloud of darkness, darker even than the space between the stars, swept into the hall from one end, consuming the glowing points of light in the floor slowly at first, then more and more quickly. The flames leaped to meet the tidal wave of shadow, and they mixed together, seemingly locked in ferocious battle._

_His family stood around him, slashing their lightsabers at the tides of flame and shadow, trying to hold their section of the hall against fire and night. Ben's sky-blue lightsaber joined them, the weapon constructed by his grandfather, and for a time both flame and shadow retreated from the shining blade._

_More gleaming blades joined the circle; the deep indigo of Anakin, the brighter electric-violet of Jaina, and the sapphire of their mother Leia. Ben looked for Jacen, but he was not there. A deep steel-gray blade joined the line, and above it Ben saw the face of his grandfather, fierce and determined, shouting orders obscured by echoes from the walls of the expansive hall. Vader's lightsaber swept out in wide, aggressive arcs, and both flame and shadow swirled away from the blade like fog in a strong wind._

_Jacen appeared suddenly as fire and night retreated from Vader's blade, dressed all in black and seeming hard and grim. First Jaina, then Ben's mother and Vader advanced toward him warily, regarding Jacen cautiously, and he met their gaze impassively, refusing Vader's invitation to join the line. Darkness seemed to fold around Jacen like a cloak for a moment before he gestured dramatically with both hands and the darkness scrambled away from him. He pursued it relentlessly, striking with alarming viciousness as he pursued his own course away from the family. It seemed to Ben that indistinct figures followed along behind him, accompanying him in a wild charge against the wave of night._

_The hooded figure at the end of the hall grew ever larger, his robe bursting into flames that did not seem to burn him; rather, he was the source of the flames, and they protected him and did not consume. He glowed like an ember at the base of a fire, an indistinct yellow-orange human figure shrouded in a robe of smoke._

_Some of the family stepped forward to confront him, but Ben could not see which ones; all color seemed to drain from the hall, and faces were obscured by swirls of smoke. He could see only the gleaming blades of lightsabers striking again and again at the fiery man, who somehow evaded each blow._

_The scorched smell grew ever stronger, burning, burning…_

* * *

><p>With a violent cough, Ben woke to a haze of smoke and the horrid stench of burnt wiring. His eyes watered, and he succumbed to another fit of coughing, feeling a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. The source of the pain, his fingers found, was something pressing hard into his side, something sharp-edged that had not yet broken the skin. Choking smoke flooded his perceptions, and he coughed and gasped, scrambling to remember the technique Jenn had taught him for holding his breath over long periods of time.<p>

Finally the Force answered his call, and his head cleared a little as his body stopped drawing in the poisons in the smoke. Fingers smeared with soot and blood found the buckle of his crash webbing, and he collapsed out of the turret's chair and to the deck below it. Through the viewport he saw beyond the barrels of his turret a sparse star field, with fewer points of light than he was used to seeing in space. The loud screeching whoop of alarms penetrated the haze in his mind finally, a multitude of sirens all blending together into a jumble of noise.

Ben lay on the deck, forcing his mind to clear, drawing deeply upon the Force. He was alive, and if he wanted to stay that way he needed to get moving and find out what was going on. The last thing he remembered was firing his turret at the flight of coralskippers pursuing them, then space starting to stretch around them as they jumped to lightspeed, then a crash of impact and the rumble of the hyperdrive going alarmingly high-pitched, then…

As he staggered to his feet, waving away the smoke that swept around his face, Ben reached for the emergency rebreather mask mounted on the wall of the turret beside the hatch leading back to the central passageway. He didn't even have to look; his parents had run so many drills on their various voyages in the _Jade Sabre _that he could find all the emergency supplies with his eyes closed.

He fit the mask over his face, and once he felt the seals tighten, he opened his eyes again and hit the hatch controls.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, but still nothing. He couldn't even feel the vibrations of the door motors.

Ben frowned. Was this just a mechanical failure, or were the emergency systems keeping his turret sealed off due to a hull breach or radiation leak elsewhere in the vessel?

No, he thought with a shake of his head; whatever was burning was somewhere else in the ship, so if he could smell it in here, it meant the ventilation ducts were still open. The door was just stuck, probably without power. He fumbled for the manual release and managed to get it open, then cranked the door open enough for him to squeeze through.

Outside, in the passageway near the lounge, he saw the simian shape of Bollux with a fire extinguisher in either hand, spraying chemical foam retardant at anything that smoked. Ben noted that this meant the automatic fire-suppressors were offline, which was not a good sign at all; they were supposed to be tied into the auxiliary generator, the one that took over when the primary system went offline. He could still hear the whooping sirens of alarms, and the red, yellow and blue emergency lights were on, so power was still coming from somewhere.

"Sir!" Bollux shouted over the alarms, turning his red photoreceptors toward him. "The hyperdrive is damaged, and Whistler is attempting to take it offline back in the engine compartment. Blue Max is plugged into the computer terminal in the lounge, trying to bring the other systems back under control. That turbolaser blast scrambled the main computer."

"Where are the others?" Ben shouted back, dodging sparking conduits as he approached the old labor droid.

"Masters Horn and Talmak are in the cockpit, and have not responded to any of my attempts to contact them," Bollux replied. "Apprentice Solo passed through here just a moment ago, on his way up to see if he could force his way inside."

"Tell Max to turn these blasted sirens off!" Ben shouted over the whooping alarms, heading in that direction himself. "We already know we're in big trouble!"

"I will, sir," Bollux replied, shooting another stream of retardant at a sparking conduit which had burst into flames.

In the lounge, he found Anakin shouting at Blue Max, who sat on the computer console with his computer probe plugged into the terminal. Anakin had a dark smear of dried blood from a small gash on his forehead down the side of his face along the edge of his own emergency breath mask, and his clothes were ripped and streaked with soot, but otherwise he seemed all right, which was some small relief.

"I'm telling you, the internal sensors are all screwed up!" Max's high-pitched voice called irritably to Anakin across the lounge. "I can't see the inside of the cockpit at all! It might be total vacuum in there for all we know!"

Anakin sighed in exasperation. "Only one way to find out, then!" he shouted. He grabbed a piece of metal about twenty centimeters square from an open patch kit at his feet, then held it ready in one hand as he drew his lightsaber with the other.

Before Ben or Max could object, Anakin stabbed the indigo blade into the cockpit door and quickly withdrew it, holding the patch ready. No whistling of decompression came from the hole, nor did any smoke, so at least they knew the cockpit wasn't breached or on fire.

Anakin pressed his face shield to the hole, attempting to peer inside, and soon reported, "They're both on the deck, not moving. I can't tell if they're alive or not."

Ben, reaching out to Corran and Jenn with the Force, could feel them, though his sense of them was faint and weak. "They're alive but injured," he said.

"The manual release isn't working," Anakin said tautly. "We're gonna have to cut the door open."

Ben showed his agreement by drawing his own lightsaber. "Bevel the edges in case we have to put it back in," he said, and Anakin nodded, moving to the other side of the door.

The two of them worked swiftly, and in only seconds the door, its edges still glowing red-hot, toppled back with a heavy thump to the carpet of the lounge. Anakin ducked inside first, heading for Corran, and Ben followed close behind, moving for Jenn.

The Jedi Master had an ugly-looking bruise beneath a streak of dried blood at her temple, and she did not respond when he touched her shoulder, so Ben reached out with the Force again, trying to determine the extent of her injuries. He didn't sense anything immediately life-threatening, nor anything that indicated she shouldn't be moved, so he stood.

For some reason, he'd always found it more difficult to levitate living things with the Force than anything else, so this required extra concentration. He purged all distraction, tuning out the alarms, the disconcerting sensation that the ship was still slowly spinning, and his own panic, ensuring his invisible grip was as steady as possible.

Only once he'd set the unconscious Jedi Master down on one of the couches in the lounge did he realize someone was saying his name. He turned to see Bollux standing next to the computer console where his counterpart sat.

"The damage to the vessel is extensive, sir," the old labor droid said. "Basic first-aid is among my programs, so I can see to Masters Talmak and Horn while you and Apprentice Solo assist Whistler with emergency repairs."

"On our way," Anakin said, headed for the far end of the lounge.

Ben was only a step behind.

* * *

><p>"The Yuuzhan Vong have begun a major offensive into this sector," Grand Admiral Thrawn began, gesturing to the central holoprojector of <em>Home One<em>'s briefing room. "Despite the best efforts of Vanguard Fleet, they have managed to push a substantial battle group into the borders of the Republic. The first target of this fleet appears to be the Corporate Sector, where they intend to take many of the worlds there as bases and possible colonies."

Even though Thrawn hadn't been his enemy for twenty years, Han still found his presence on the Republic flagship unsettling. Admiral Ackbar's task force, fresh from their own skirmish with a Vong fleet over Dantooine, had joined _Executor_ here in the Corporate Sector; Vanguard Fleet simply couldn't spare the ships from their own positions in the Unknown Regions, and even _Executor_ couldn't engage this fleet by herself, estimated at some three hundred capital ships and twice that many support vessels. So far the fighting had been confined to this sparsely populated area of the galaxy, but clearly this incursion meant the Vong intended to push into more populous sectors very soon.

Ackbar moved to stand next to the Grand Admiral, indicating the display with a flipper-like hand. "Our scouts report that the fleet is presently gathered in the Mytus system, which is entirely uninhabited. They appear to be fashioning bases out of some of the larger asteroids, and at least one worldship has been spotted in the system as well."

In his seat in the front row of the briefing room's amphitheater, Han hid a smirk behind his hand; he, personally was the reason the Mytus system was totally uninhabited, having played a large part in destroying the Corporate Sector Authority prison there known as Stars' End more than twenty-five years ago. Next to him, Chewbacca grumbled quietly, muttering something about how he'd hoped to never see this miserable system again.

"The rest of the Republic fleet is tied up in the defense of the border worlds and in patrolling the major hyperspace lanes," Ackbar went on. "Unfortunately, we simply cannot muster enough ships at this time to attack this fleet head-on, so we are adopting a hit-and-fade strategy against them to weaken their numbers."

Thrawn adjusted the controls of the holoprojector to show a long-range, grainy holographic image of the group of ugly coral vessels. "Using a combination of stealth Interdictors and Master Organa Solo's Battle Meditation to precisely position our ships, we will conduct a series of raids against the edges of their formation, concentrating all fire on two or three ships at a time and then immediately retreating once they are destroyed. This will keep the Vong contained in this system until more battle groups become available to join us, at which time we will engage them in force."

A gray-uniformed Chiss ensign entered the briefing room at a brisk walk and hurried over to the Grand Admiral, murmuring something to him quickly. Han couldn't see her face behind Thrawn's head, but he did see the admiral's glowing red eyes widen very slightly. Thrawn said something to Ackbar, to which the Mon Calamarian admiral replied, "Patch it through down here."

Moments later, the head and shoulders of Darth Vader appeared in the holoprojector to ripples of surprise from the gathered officers.

"_Our mission was successful,"_ he boomed. "_I have contacted Parck, and he has dispatched the necessary supplies to our position. Expect substantial reinforcements within the next few weeks." _Just as abruptly, he terminated the transmission.

Han noticed Leia's frown and turned to her. "Hey, what is it?"

She shook her head slightly. "Something… something's wrong. I sensed grief… and rage in him. Something happened out there."

Han mirrored her frown. "Like what?"

"I don't know," Leia replied. "I'm almost afraid to find out."

* * *

><p>Luke stood on the viewing platform high atop the Star Forge, looking down into the immense factory zone, where even now an army of construction droids were already assembling several large ships; by the dimensions and general outline, these would be either Super Star Destroyers or <em>Eclipse-<em>class Star Dreadnaughts. More droids were rolling out of the lower-level factories every moment, immediately going to work on building more ships.

Now Luke could see why Vader wanted this station, and had been hunting for it for so long; below him were the automated factories housed in Vader's command ships wrought on a stellar scale. Using the power and resources drawn from this system's sun, the Star Forge could roll out a fleet large enough to take on any opponent within a matter of weeks. And with a shipment of Spaarti cloning cylinders on the way, combined with the droid factories already present within the station, the ships would all have full crews almost before they were built.

Despite himself, Luke felt a shudder pass through his body. Great evil could be done with this station. Great evil indeed. He knew the Star Forge would be used in the defense of the galaxy against the Vong hordes, but still he felt a sense of uneasiness, trepidation even, at seeing weapons of war manufactured on such an enormous scale.

His uneasiness, he knew, was from more than just the Star Forge itself and the subtle oily texture of the Dark Side which seemed to permeate every plate and rivet of the station. The Force was unquiet, rippling with a multitude of disturbances. He could feel the lingering aftereffects from the two planets that had been destroyed by the mysterious fire cult, the echoes of screams which reached him even here.

More than that, Luke could feel danger, a sense of urgency connected with his son. Something had happened, or was happening, and Ben was in great peril. Like the vision on Dagobah he'd once had, seeing his friends in great pain at Cloud City, so too he saw his son, surrounded by flames and an endless expanse of nothingness.

Luke felt his daughter reach out to him through the Force, the connection too faint with distance to project words, but he sensed Ami's worry; she, too, sensed Ben was in danger. He reached back with the mental equivalent of a comforting hand, feeling Mara join in wordlessly reassuring their daughter that they were going after Ben. Ami sent back the impression in no uncertain terms that she meant to join them in going to her brother's rescue, and Luke agreed, knowing better than to try and argue. She was just as strong-willed as her mother, and he half expected she'd steal a ship and come after them anyway if they tried to leave her behind.

_You bet she would_, Mara sent to him with that uniquely parental combination of exasperation and pride. Luke had to smile.

As he allowed the connection with his daughter to gently fade, Luke's smile disappeared. Now he had to go and tell his sister that not only was one of her sons in danger far from home, the other wouldn't be coming home at all. From the reports quickly exchanged earlier, he knew she was about to go into battle, and debated whether to tell her now and burden her with the news when she would need all her concentration.

Even as he weighed this, she made the decision for him; his comlink beeped, and when he answered it, Artoo reported that Leia was waiting to talk to him on the _Argent Hawk_'s long-range comm.

Luke paused to take a breath. "Put it through up here," he said.

A moment later, a life-sized hologram of his sister appeared a few meters away on the balcony, her expression pensive. "_Where is Jacen?_" she said without greeting. "_I don't sense him there with you._"

"Leia, he-" The words stuck in his throat, and Luke had to take another deep breath. "I'm sorry, but he… he was killed."

* * *

><p>Leia felt like a rancor had punched her in the stomach. She stumbled back away from the holoprojector in one of <em>Home One'<em>s comm centers, away from the hologram of her brother and his world-shattering news.

Years upon years of politics had taught her to reflexively maintain composure through almost anything, and only those deeply ingrained reflexes allowed Leia to keep her feet. There was nothing in the tiny spherical room besides the projector array, not even a chair, so she had no other choice.

"It's not true," she half-whispered.

Luke sighed, audible even through the low static hiss of the comm. "_I'm sorry, Leia, but he's gone. He and Qeris were captured, and then they were… executed. I sensed them vanish from the Force myself._"

"It's not true," Leia repeated. "Jacen is not dead. I can feel it."

"_Leia, I…_"

"He is not dead, do you hear me?" she shouted at him. "I would have felt him die. I would have! He's still alive back there, and you left him!"

"_I don't want to believe it, either, but-_"

"I'm telling you my son is not dead! You left him. You _left_ him! You just abandoned Jacen back there, and who knows what's happened to him!"

"_Leia, there was nothing we could do! It all happened so fast-"_

The upper node of the projector disappeared in an explosion of sparks, and Leia looked up at it, stunned. It took her a long moment to realize she'd done it herself, had shorted out the projector with the Force in anger.

Unbidden, the memory of seeing Vader do the same to the viewing screen where his treacherous Sith Apprentice had issued his challenge all those years ago on Naboo passed through her mind, and she could only stare at the ruined projector in horror.

Hand to her mouth, she felt the tears begin to flow.

* * *

><p>Finally, when the <em>Jade Sabre<em> was at least no longer in immediate danger of exploding or breaking up around them or flinging them off who knew where with its damaged hyperdrive, Anakin Solo stumbled wearily into the lounge and dropped heavily into one of the padded chairs. In order to save power, everything was powered down except the artificial gravity and air scrubbers, and the heater was set to its minimum levels, leaving the starship cold and dim, lit only by the emergency chemical lighting strips that outlined doors and traced paths to them.

Ben sank into another chair nearby, glancing over to Corran and Jenn, who still lay unconscious on the couches on the other side of the lounge, draped with blankets.

"They have not awoken," Bollux reported in answer to his unspoken query. "They are stable for the moment, though I recommend we get them professional medical care as quickly as possible."

"Yeah, well, we're fifty thousand light-years from the closest hospital," Anakin snapped. "The hyperdrive is totally shot, and can't be fixed with parts from Corran's X-wing because that got fried in the overload, too. The reactor is offline so that it doesn't melt down and destroy the ship, and we have nowhere near enough juice in the auxiliary generators to maintain a comm signal across any kind of helpful distance. In plainest terms, we're dead already but just haven't quit breathing yet."

"Don't you _even_ tell me you've given up already!" Ben snapped back in an uncharacteristic display of temper, jumping to his feet.

"I didn't say I was giving up!" Anakin rejoined, also standing. "I'm just saying that char-broiled bastard cooked us pretty good, and right now I don't see anything we can do about it!"

"Losing your tempers will not help matters, young sirs," Bollux drawled calmly. "Despite the limitations of our situation, we are not yet completely out of options. What should be our main goals?"

Ben took a deep breath, using the Force to calm himself as he sat down. "Our top priority, obviously, should be to get back to the main galaxy, not only to save ourselves, but to warn the Republic that Pyrron now has control of a Star Forge. I'm positive he means to send an army our way, and with what Revan told us about the Star Forge, it's entirely possible he could have a fleet big enough to conquer the galaxy within a couple of months."

"Even if we could somehow fix the hyperdrive, it'd still take us almost that long to get back," Anakin said. "It took us weeks to get out to Companion Grek, and that was at full power."

Ben's face went very serious, and Anakin sensed in him a sort of grim resignation. "The Republic must be warned," he said. "Do we have enough power to send a subspace transmission to the nearest HoloNet relay or Ex-Gal outpost?"

"It would take everything we've got," Anakin said soberly, coming to the same realization. "Every last joule. Maybe, _maybe_ if we all went into deep hibernation trances and rerouted the air supply to just one of the cabins, we _might_ last long enough for an extremely fast ship to come and find us, if it even can out here in the void. And I ain't at all comfortable with the size of that 'if'."

"There's really no other choice," Ben said, resting his elbow on his knee and pushing his fingers into his hair. Head tilted to the side, he looked over at Anakin. "The Republic _has_ to know what's coming their way."

Anakin sighed, looking over at Corran and Jenn. "I wish we could ask them."

Ben echoed his sigh. "Me, too."

"We need no oxygen," Bollux said into the silence, "And we can function for quite some time on our own power supplies without recharging; Whistler, Max and I can continue to work while you are in hibernation. We can cannibalize parts from nonessential systems to repair the main reactor, and use the power supplies from the remaining sensor buoys to sustain the life-support as long as possible in the meantime."

Anakin stood, steeling himself. "We're wasting air talking about it," he said determinedly. "Let's do it." He headed for the cockpit to compose the message.

"May the Force be with us," he heard Ben murmur behind him.

* * *

><p>"Now what?"<p>

Qeris pondered Jacen's words, murmured softly beside her ear. They sat on the steps of the Empress' throne, she a step below him, leaning back against his chest with his arms around her waist, hands resting on her stomach. For a long time, they had simply sat here in comfortable silence, looking out over the chaotic wreckage of the throne room. Broken pieces of furniture and shredded remains of curtains and tapestries lay scattered over the steps, pushed away in a loose circle around them.

After weeks of torture and the agonizing ordeal of only a few minutes before, Qeris felt quite content sitting here on the steps with Jacen's warm arms around her, feeling the slow, regular rhythm of his breathing against her back. She had no idea what would happen when they eventually left this room, but for now she felt at peace.

Her eyes found the still shape of the dead Empress, draped with a fallen curtain. "I… do not know," she had to admit. "Someone is bound to come in eventually, and even you cannot fight off all the soldiers in this battle station."

"Probably not." He was silent for a moment, his thoughts troubled. "We have to do something, though. We can't just stay in here forever. Her officers are expecting us to go review the troops any time now, and we can't hide her death for long."

"They already know, I think," Qeris said distractedly, reaching out into the Force. "She exerted such oppressive control over most of her troops that I think they can sense she is gone. I am actually rather surprised they haven't smashed the door in yet."

"So you think we should just admit I killed her?" Jacen said curiously. Though his tone was deceptively light, she could sense his inner pain and turmoil; what he had done would haunt him for years to come, perhaps the rest of his life.

"This army was ruled by a Sith, and above everything else the Sith value power," Qeris said. "They will, perhaps, accept your leadership because you were able to defeat their previous Master."

Jacen stiffened. "I won't be a Sith. I won't even pretend to be one."

Qeris placed her hand on his, over her stomach. "I didn't say that." She paused. "But we do have to do something."

"The only plan I can think of at the moment is to steal a ship and go down to the temple, then transition back to our universe."

She smiled slightly as an idea sparked in her mind. "Think bigger."

"Bigger?"

She gestured out at the wrecked throne room. "We are sitting in a moon-sized battle station filled with troops, armed with a weapon so powerful it can reduce entire planets to rubble. Our galaxy is under siege by an invading fleet whose forces vastly outnumber our own."

"And this station is already equipped to go back there," Jacen finished. "We could be a real asset to the war effort."

Qeris nodded in satisfaction at his conclusion. "Indeed we could."

She sensed him frown. "But how do we convince these soldiers to come with us? I won't force them, and we can't exactly take the station back empty."

"Talk to them," she replied. "Describe to them what you intend to do, and I am sure many will follow you. And those that refuse… Well, you are now in control of the galaxy's most powerful weapon."

"That's a very Imperial way of looking at things."

Qeris leaned forward so she could look back into his eyes. "Sometimes that is the only way to get things done. You are in a position to take command of this army, and you would be foolish to waste this opportunity."

"The Empress is dead, and everything is on the brink of chaos…" Jacen said distantly.

Puzzled, she could only look at him for a moment before she realized his train of thought. "The situation is very similar," she agreed. "And so your course of action must be similar to your grandfather's. Take command of this army. Your age, your inexperience with military command… irrelevant; I will help you with procedure. Your strength of will is what matters, Jacen. With it, you destroyed a Sith Lord, and now you can use her army of darkness to protect instead of conquer."

"Thank you," he said quietly, his fingers intertwining with hers. "I don't know if I could have gotten through this without you."

She looked into his eyes again. "Do you want to know something?" she said softly. "I couldn't have gotten through without you, either. I resisted so much, tried so hard to keep you from breaking, because it was the only thing that kept _me_ from breaking. Thank _you._"

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she saw on his face a genuine smile. "All right," he said, a shaky note of optimism in his voice. "Let's do it." He paused, unsure. "Um, what do I do?"

She had to smile at that. "Help me up."

He did, and at her direction they moved up the staircase to the Empress' throne and the control consoles which flanked it.

"Knowing the mindset of our unlamented host," Qeris said, running her eyes over the computer boards, "there is likely some sort of emergency override which would seal off this chamber and place the essential systems of the station under her direct control." Nothing seemed likely at first glance, so she reached out with the Force, trying to find any particular system which the Empress might have given especial significance.

_There._ She reached out and pointed to it, a blank space on the console.

"What?" Jacen asked, glancing at her sidelong. "I don't see anything."

"Precisely," Qeris replied with a slight smile. "The actual button is _beneath._"

Jacen half-smiled himself as it dawned on him. "Only accessible with the Force."

Almost casually, he activated it, and the floor vibrated as heavy barriers rumbled over all entrances to the throne room. The lights dimmed for a moment as the various systems switched over to a backup generator which hummed to life somewhere beneath the staircase leading up to the throne, and several previously hidden doors quietly slid open to reveal caches of supplies.

The console beeped. "Someone is hailing," Qeris reported.

Jacen seemed at a loss. "I don't really know what to say," he admitted.

She reached up to place a hand on his shoulder. "They are _your_ soldiers now. Address them accordingly."

He nodded once, drew himself up into a commanding posture, and opened the channel. "Yes?"

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Yes, I am aware of the recent major Star Wars news. As evidenced by the way you are reading this, I, too, have access to the Internet. ;)<p>

It doesn't affect this story at all, obviously, but I'll just say I'm interested to see what happens next, and am refraining from making any snap judgments until more information is released. In the meantime, big things are on the horizon for this story. I am having a blast writing it right now, possibly the most fun I've had writing any story I've posted on this site. Thanks as always to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!


	22. The Long Way Home

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Two<strong>  
>(The Long Way Home)<p>

The _Executor_ leaped from hyperspace at the head of a formation of Republic Star Cruisers, frigates, and fighters, the alpha of a pack of predators charging against their lumbering prey, and the Battle of Mytus began.

Immediately, a large Yuuzhan Vong Destroyer-analogue vanished under the obliterating beam of _Executor_'s superlaser. Within moments, two more succumbed to the sustained bombardment from the rest of the titanic warship's weapons and those of the rest of the fleet. More Vong warships whirled, bringing their weapons to bear on their unexpected attackers, but the fleet was already gone, vanished back into hyperspace mere moments after its entrance.

Long minutes ticked by as the Vong formation scrambled, its surviving commanders frantically trying to determine what had just happened and corral their fleet back into a semblance of order; their telepathically controlling yammosk war-leader had been aboard the first destroyed warship.

Then, from a different angle, _Executor_ and her fleet slipped from the shadows to take another three of their number, and the Vong were scattered into chaos once more. When the cobalt titan and her allies disappeared, the Vong charged screaming after them, trying to track their hyperspace vector, but some unseen force held them in place, preventing them from going to lightspeed in pursuit.

Again _Executor_ jumped into their midst, hurling green beams of death, and again it vanished back into hyperspace only moments later. Even the stoutest of Yuuzhan Vong warriors felt a stirring of superstitious panic; the machine demon Vader's gigantic warship was well known among the Vong, and here was yet another demonstration of its supernatural powers.

One of the Vong commanders noticed that the _Executor'_s attacks thus far formed three of the points of a pyramid shape, and at his orders the Vong swiveled to face the fourth corner of the pyramid, preparing to fire as soon as the demon vessel showed itself again.

_Executor_ did indeed appear again, but not at the expected place; she reappeared at her original position, which was now to the rear of the Vong formation. Their weapons and defensively angled dovin basals were pointed in entirely the wrong direction to face the now widely-spread Republic fleet supporting the _Executor_, and thus the simultaneously-fired fusillade from all of the warships caught the Vong vessels squarely in the targeted vulnerable areas.

Some disintegrated under the withering assault and yet more were caught in the explosions of their fellows, leaving the entire gathered battle group a wrecked, disorganized mess.

_Executor_ and her task force vanished back into hyperspace, methodically moving on to the next Vong fleet patrolling the Mytus system.

* * *

><p>When the recorded hologram of her cousin Anakin finished his message, Ami Skywalker said an obscene phrase she'd learned from her Uncle Han, an expression her Aunt Leia had very specifically told her was not one used by Jedi and especially not by young ladies.<p>

Profanity seemed entirely warranted now; if what Anakin had said was true, a very large quantity of ordure was indeed hurtling toward the proverbial intake.

Ami slid her chair to another part of the control board in the Jedi Temple's main comm center where she was currently on duty and tapped in the code for the comm unit in the quarters of the Masters Solusar.

"Sorry to wake you," she said as she heard the beep signaling acknowledgment, "but I've just received a message you need to hear."

"_We're on our way,_" Tionne's voice came back.

A few minutes later, Tionne and Kam Solusar entered the comm center still in their dressing gowns, Tahiri only a few steps behind them in loose sandy-brown pajamas.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" Tionne asked her apprentice, adjusting her lightsaber in the pocket of her robe.

"I could sense Ami was upset about something," Tahiri said. She looked over at her friend concernedly. "It's about Ben and Anakin, isn't it?"

Wordlessly, Ami slid her chair back to its original position and played the message again.

"…_aday, mayday,_" Anakin's voice began, distorted with static and interference; the Ex-Gal outpost which had received the message had cleaned it up quite a bit, and NRI had worked on it also, but his words were still barely audible amid the hiss and crackle. "_This is the Jed… essel _Jade Sabre_. We've… aken heav… mage and are dis… eyond the edge of the gal… econd Star Forge, repeat, second Star For… urned Lord Pyrron, head of fire cul… pare for inv…"_

"And that's it," Ami said, looking up at the two Jedi Masters. "NRI says they're still working on it, trying to get more, but you get the idea."

"The leader of this fire cult - called the Burned Lord in some of their messages - followed them out to the companion dwarf galaxy," Kam said, passing his fingers back through his short pale hair, "and seized control of the second Star Forge which Master Horn and his group were seeking."

"Prepare for invasion," Tionne extrapolated from Anakin's last words.

"The Chancellor and the Senate must be informed of this," Kam said to Tionne. "The Grand Master as well. I will talk to Chancellor Amidala; you call Master Skywalker."

Though her father had meant it as teasing, Ami thought to herself that perhaps she _would_ have to steal a ship to go looking for her brother. This was huge, and the Grand Master of the Jedi Order would certainly have to stay here to deal with this new development; not even the search for his own son and nephew warranted his leaving the Republic again right now.

Having sensed her friend's line of thought, Tahiri met Ami's eyes and said, "Even if your dad has to stay here, do you really think anyone is going to be able to keep your mom from going out to look for them?"

"Not if they froze her in carbonite," said Kam.

* * *

><p>Mara was out the door and halfway down the corridor even before Luke had signed off from his conversation with Tionne, and he had to run to catch up with her.<p>

She didn't even slow down as he fell into step beside her, sprinting through the dim corridors of the Star Forge to the nearest turbolift. "Artoo, get the _Hawk_ fired up," she said briskly into her comlink as the doors closed. "I want to leave the _instant_ I get there. And get ready to call NRI as we're on our way out of the system; I have some things for them to do while we're on our way back to Alderaan."

R2-D2 tweeted acknowledgement, and Mara snapped the comlink closed and shoved it back into her pocket, shifting with nervous energy as the turbolift rumbled through the shaft.

"If NRI can pinpoint that message's point of origin, I can plot a jump close enough to sense them," she said to Luke, green eyes ablaze with intensity. "It's still going to take days… weeks, even, to travel that far outside of the galaxy, and I don't want to waste any more time searching than I absolutely have to. Who knows how long they can last out there?"

"You'll find them, Mara," Luke said, placing his hand on her back. "If anyone can find them in time, it's you."

"You're damned right," she said with singular determination, her muscles tense beneath his fingers.

When the turbolift doors opened directly into the _Argent Hawk_'s hangar bay, Luke sensed his father already within the vessel. They found Vader in the cockpit, working swiftly through the preflight checks.

"While we are taking on supplies at Alderaan, I will modify the _Hawk_'s hyperdrive to grant us extra speed," he said, not looking up from the control boards. "I will also have a full squadron of Chiss clawcraft standing by at Belkadan when we stop there to plot our first jump beyond the edge of the galaxy."

"You're going with me?" Mara asked as she buckled herself into the copilot's seat.

Vader's only reply was to look at her briefly over the console between them.

"You needed to ask?" Luke said, buckling into his own seat.

"Right," said Mara. "What was I thinking?"

* * *

><p>Battle served as an excellent distraction, keeping Jaina from thinking about either of her brothers for a few hours. She had known there would be casualties, had tried to prepare herself for the grim reality of loss in wartime, but this was almost too much for her to bear.<p>

"_Blue Three, break left!_" Blue Two - Zekk - said over the squadron frequency.

Jaina snap-rolled her TIE Interceptor left, and caught a glance of the coralskipper that had been attempting to lock onto her disappearing in a bright flash, caught by one of Zekk's torpedoes.

"Executor_'s sent us the calculations,"_ said Blue Leader, Colonel Fel. "_Jump as soon as you're clear!_"

Mechanically, Jaina locked in the coordinates, and the swirling blue of the hyperspace sky surrounded her cockpit for two precise minutes before fading back into starlines and then snapping to diamond-flecked black.

Somewhere in that obsidian void was her brother Anakin in a crippled ship, hiding from yet another invading army that was on its way here to destroy everything she cared about.

And Jacen…

He was gone, but some small part of her agreed with her mother; an indistinct feeling at the back of Jaina's mind gave her a sliver of hope that he might still be alive. But even so, she had no idea where he was or how to help him.

Right now, other people needed her help, she reminded herself. Drawing upon the Force, she narrowed her focus exclusively to the moment.

Along with almost two dozen other Jedi, Jaina was serving as a figurative 'relay' for her mother's Battle Meditation through the allied fleet. One Jedi was on each of the stealth Interdictors which moved undetected among the Yuuzhan Vong ships, receiving orders from Grand Admiral Thrawn relayed to them by Leia, who sat next to him on _Executor_'s bridge. Other Jedi including Jaina were scattered through the rest of the warships and squadrons, keeping everyone in the exactingly precise formation and timing required for Thrawn's strategy.

So far, it was working; they'd started this operation outnumbered almost four to one, but had destroyed nearly a third of the Vong forces in this system over the last nine hours with only minor losses. It was exhausting for both crew and ships; though they'd spent days preparing for this, specially modifying their hyperdrives to handle the strain of so many micro-jumps in quick succession, the Star Cruiser _Mon Mothma_'s drive had failed an hour ago. Thankfully, it had been in their fallback position and not in the middle of the enemy formation, though everyone knew that was increasingly likely to happen the longer the operation went on. Jaina was particularly concerned about the hyperdrives in the modern Imperial fighters, which were designed for limited range, intending to keep them anchored to their carrier as always.

"_Where's Blue Eleven?_" Colonel Fel asked suddenly. "_He's not answering his comm._"

"_I don't read him, Blue Leader,_" said Zekk. "_Blue group, who's got eyes on Eleven?_"

"_He's not here, sir,"_ said Blue Ten. "_His space in the formation is empty, and my sensors aren't picking him up."_

"_Which means he's probably still back there,"_ said Fel. "_Start the calculations; prepare to jump back and look for him._"

"_Belay that, Blue Leader,_" Thrawn's voice said over the command frequency. "_Assemble your squadron in Attack Pattern Epsilon for the next jump._"

"_Respectfully, sir, I'm not leaving one of my men behind,_" Fel transmitted back. "_Request permission to form a rescue operation."_

"_Permission denied, Blue Leader,"_ said Thrawn. "_Your squadron is needed in the formation."_

Jaina saw a hyper-capable gunship launch from the main hangar of the Star Cruiser _Obi-Wan Kenobi_, accompanied by two X-wings and a Y-wing bomber.

"_Blue Leader, this is Gold Leader,"_ the gunship transmitted on the general frequency. "Executor _just picked up your man's distress beacon and relayed it to the_ _Old Ben; we're on our way."_

"_My thanks, Gold Leader,"_ said Fel. "_Blue Squadron, Attack Pattern Epsilon."_

A few minutes later, they jumped again, and again their ships leaped into brief but furious battle.

"_That Vong frigate has almost had it; somebody get over there and put a few more torpedoes in it."_

"_Pull up, Yellow Nine!"_

"_Silver Squadron, set two-seven-one."_

"_Green Eight here! My wingman's gone and I have three skips on my tail! Somebody get over here!"_

"_Rogue Seven here, Green Eight. We're on our way."_

"_Where did that corvette come from? I don't recognize the markings."_

Jaina looked over at the oddly colored ship, painted in swirls of red, orange and yellow. "Something's wrong with his running lights," she said over the squadron frequency. "They keep blinking."

"_The pattern almost makes it look like he's on fire,"_ Zekk transmitted back. "_Hey, watch it!_" he shouted as a turbolaser blast from the unidentified corvette flashed past his fighter. When it happened again, he spun in a loose corkscrew away from the vessel. "_What the hell? Is he shooting at _us?_"_

Jaina was forced into a tight roll away from another blast of turbolaser fire, cursing under her breath. "Yeah, he's shooting at us, all right."

"_Friendly fire!"_ Colonel Fel transmitted at the rogue ship. "_Repeat, cease fire! You are firing on friendly vessels!"_

In response, the corvette launched a barrage of torpedoes at him, and Fel had to twist his Interceptor through a wild series of maneuvers to avoid them.

"_That's it,"_ Zekk growled. "_Blues, with me; we're taking this kriffer out. Lock torpedoes."_

Jaina frowned, concentrating on an odd feeling in the Force. "Wait," she said. "Wait a minute, hold on here."

"_You're right, Three,"_ Zekk agreed. "_Something's off about that ship."_

Without warning, the cockpits of the allied fighters closest to the vessel flared with light, and suddenly the squadron frequency was filled with agonized screaming. Jaina could barely fly with all the pain radiating out through the Force.

"_What's going on?!"_

"_Fire, fire!"_

"_Target does not register as friendly; you are authorized to eliminate."_

Above them, the _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ and _Home One_ tilted to bring their heavy turbolasers to bear on the rogue corvette, then fired. The vessel disappeared into a fireball under the storm of red light, and suddenly the buzzing, crackling sensation in the Force was gone, leaving only the echoes of the murdered pilots.

"_This is Thrawn_._ Coordinates are being sent; prepare to jump on my mark."_

Jaina linked her navicomputer to the _Executor_'s, feeling too sick to plot the jump herself. The echoes she'd felt across the galaxy from the planets the fire cult had destroyed… to sense those same effects up close was unimaginably worse, even though the number of lives consumed was fewer.

Space twisted and spun around her, erupting into the blue hyperspace sky.

* * *

><p>On some days, he felt more like Darth Vader, and on others, Anakin Skywalker. Today he was Anakin, his mind whirling with plans mixed with worry; two of his grandchildren were stranded in the extragalactic void, their ship crippled and drifting, supplies dwindling, and a swarm of enemies almost certainly searching for them. Sitting in the pilot's chair in the <em>Argent Hawk<em>'s cockpit, Anakin silently urged more speed from the hyperdrive.

In equal silence, he cursed himself. All this time, another Star Forge had been waiting out in one of the dwarf companion galaxies; there had been no need to make the dangerous transition between parallel universes. Instead, he should have led that expedition, seized the second Star Forge for himself instead of insisting on the more risky mission.

The failure here was his. If not for him, Jacen would still be alive.

The failure was his in more ways than one, Anakin thought with a frown. In that dark universe, his daughter had been raised a Sith, had become cruel and vicious like Palpatine had truly been, and though he had seen little of the galaxy she ruled, he could guess at its condition.

Would that have happened here if he had been able to keep his children? If his family had stayed together, if they had joined him in ruling the galaxy, would they have turned out like him or would the lure of the Dark Side have been too great? Would he have been able to help them keep their balance from the beginning, or would they have had to immerse themselves fully in both sides as he had to know the full measure of the Force?

Again, the nagging doubts that had plagued him for twenty years. Again, the persistent whispers in Obi-Wan's voice that he was wrong, that to truly become what he was meant to be he would have to reject the Dark Side utterly, to cast Darth Vader aside once and for all. There was no such thing as balance, the whispers said; there was only Light and Dark, and the line between them was impossible to straddle.

Anakin pushed these thoughts away, bringing his focus back to the search for his grandchildren. Once they reached Alderaan, they would know more, and by the time they reached Belkadan the Ex-Gal array there would hopefully have narrowed their search field to a manageable area. The Chiss clawcraft, with their efficient hyperdrives and sophisticated sensor arrays, would aid greatly in reducing the time needed to search, and with life support dwindling in the _Jade Sabre_, every second would count.

Time seemed to both pass swiftly and drag on interminably until finally it was time for reversion, and once the starlines snapped back to normal space, the cloud-streaked blue-and-green sphere of Alderaan filled the cockpit.

Anakin had piloted ships through atmospheric descent so many times he had long since lost count, the careful, precise navigation required to safely guide a ship from space to ground an almost entirely reflexive process by now.

The whispers came again, stronger than ever here on the planet where he'd killed Obi-Wan so many years ago.

_It's still not too late, Anakin. A tide of darkness is descending on the galaxy, and the light needs your leadership now more than ever. Reject the Dark Side, finally free yourself from its hold. You are strong enough; I know you are. You can become so much more than you are if you make the determination. If you let them, the ones who care about you will help you._

The graceful spires of the Jedi Temple came into view as he flew the ship down its secluded valley, so much like the old Temple on Coruscant and yet so different - like everything about the new Jedi Order his children had built. What he had destroyed, they had remade, stronger than ever.

"You can help them, Anakin. You have spent years lost in darkness, committed much evil, but redemption can still be yours if you choose it."

As the _Argent Hawk_ settled on its landing gear and the pad began to retract into the upper levels of the temple, Anakin looked over his shoulder at the source of the voice, which was oddly like an actual audible sound.

To his surprise, Obi-Wan stood there a few steps in front of the closed cockpit door, looking like he had on that day twenty-five years ago, though he seemed slightly transparent, wreathed in a subtle luminous aura.

"Yes, I am truly here," Obi-Wan said in response to his unasked question. "Though I come across a great distance, it is worth the effort. Right now, Anakin, you are closer than you have ever been to rejecting the Dark Side, and if you let me, I will help you."

"You still haven't given up on me?"

Obi-Wan smiled, though there was great sadness in his expression. "Never."

Anakin looked down at his hands, resting on his knees. "My family has… made a life without me. When my task here is done, I will leave them once again. I have done… too much for them to ever forgive me."

"Shouldn't you let them make that decision?"

When he looked up, Obi-Wan was gone.

* * *

><p>As the <em>Argent Hawk <em>came in for a landing, Ami paced restlessly in front of the entrance to the temple's upper hangar bay. The ship would be here for a few hours, she knew, taking on supplies, but still she wanted to just leap aboard as soon as it touched down and immediately take off again.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, looking back to see her grandmother standing next to her. Ami took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down; she'd been so anxious she hadn't even sensed her grandmother's approach.

"Is… he aboard?"

Ami didn't have to ask who Padmé meant. "Yes; I sense him," she replied.

At her side, Padmé's fingers plucked absently at the fabric of her simple but elegant dark green gown, the only outward sign of the unease Ami sensed within her.

The retracting landing pad came to a full stop, and Ami's parents immediately descended the _Argent Hawk_'s ramp and jogged over to them.

"I've called an emergency meeting of the Senate," Padmé said as they approached. "I'll be proposing a formal alliance with the Empire, and that we allow their fleet through our space to join the battlefront."

"That's not going to be popular with some of the Senators," Mara said.

"I'll need your help to persuade them," Padmé agreed. "You and Luke have-"

She broke off as Ami's grandfather emerged from the ship, his gaze moving across the hangar to rest on them. He set off at a brisk walk, and in only a few seconds had joined them.

"Madame Chancellor," he said, both his expression and sense in the Force unreadable.

"Lord Vader," Padmé replied calmly, similarly restrained.

Though he did not show it outwardly, Ami sensed within her grandfather a sort of flinch, and she wondered at it.

"I am making preparations to search for the _Jade Sabre_," Vader said. "I will be leaving as soon as possible. Your schedule is, of course, equally occupied."

Rather abruptly, he turned and went back to the ship. Padmé seemed about to say something, but merely watched him leave without replying.

"I'm already packed and ready to go," Ami said to her mother, mostly to break the silence.

"Good," Mara replied. "You can help me finish getting everything ready. Every minute counts."

* * *

><p>Malysa Kolos navigated the dead, silent corridors of a wrecked Yuuzhan Vong ship by the light of her azure lightsaber, warily watching for any movement. From the burned, blasted condition of the interior of the destroyer-analogue, Malysa was almost glad there was no atmosphere and she and her troops were in sealed spacesuits; in air, the stench would have been overwhelming, she was sure.<p>

"_Report: We have found no survivors thus far,"_ HK-47's voice said over her helmet comm.

"Would that be because there aren't any, or is it because you're making sure?" Malysa replied, gesturing to an empty dark room to their right. Two elite troopers shone their rifle lights inside for a moment before announcing it was clear.

"_Indignant Reply: Master Kolos, our task here is to take prisoners for interrogation. Though I and my YVHK droids are exceedingly proficient at blasting meatbags into their constituent components, we also do not disobey our orders, and Grand Admiral Thrawn's orders to take some Vong alive were rather regrettably clear."_

"All right, calm down," Malysa said, gingerly shoving aside with her boot the burned remnants of something she decided not to examine too closely. "But this is the first time the YVHK droids have been deployed, and since you were pretty much unsupervised while you were programming and building them, some of us are a little… uneasy."

"_Reassurance: Master Revan was also excessively clear in the parameters for the YVHK droids. They are programmed to obey orders from authorized meatbags just as I am."_

Malysa sighed. "I have asked you not to call me that."

"_Insincere Apology: My speech protocols are occasionally somewhat lacking in discretion. I shall endeavor to avoid informing you of your meatbag status in the future."_

"Thanks so much," Malysa said dryly. "Let me know if you find anything."

"_Acknowledgment: I shall. HK-47 out._"

"With respect, ma'am, what exactly are we doing here?" one of the troopers asked. Malysa's HUD identified him as Bentis.

"Our orders are to retrieve Yuuzhan Vong survivors for interrogation," she replied, moving the tip of her glowing lightsaber into an open doorway. She saw nothing in its blue light but more bodies and dead Vong biots whose function she could only guess.

Her HUD announced Bentis was requesting a direct connection, apart from the squad frequency. Curious, she connected.

"Yeah, I know what our orders are," Bentis said in a conspiratorial whisper. "But you work directly with the Grand Admiral himself. What are we _really_ doing here? This is the third battle where we've gone out afterwards to get survivors, but I've never seen any in the detention block."

"I'm a Jedi, trooper," Malysa replied. "That means Thrawn may use me in his strategies, but he certainly isn't going to tell me anything he doesn't think I need to know. Believe me, I want to know what he's really doing with the prisoners just as much as you do."

"If you say so, ma'am," Bentis said reluctantly, and terminated the secure connection.

It was true; Malysa had been growing increasingly curious as to what Thrawn was doing with the Vong tech and survivors she and the elite troopers had been retrieving after most battles recently. But when she'd asked him, he'd said nothing, merely giving her one of his inscrutable, unnerving stares until she dropped it and moved on.

_Just like old times_, she thought to herself as her squad continued through the wreck.

* * *

><p>"<em>Lord Caedus,"<em> the officer hailing the throne room said. "_May we speak with the Empress?_"

Jacen took a deep breath, and Qeris sensed him gathering himself. "No you may not," he said after a momentary pause. "I killed her."

The deceptively calm, forthright way he admitted this surprised even Qeris, and she could tell the Imperial officer on the other end of the line was taken aback.

"_My… my lord?"_

"Your Empress is dead by my hand," Jacen said, his voice falling into an oddly familiar cadence. "I am your leader now. You will follow my orders." His tone left absolutely no room for argument.

The officer hesitated before replying. "_The Empress is dead,_" he said with a complete lack of emotion. "_Long live the Emperor._"

Jacen scowled at that, but did not contradict him. "Patch me through to the entire fleet," he ordered. "I wish to address my troops."

"Retaliator, _this is Grand Admiral Solo on the _Executioner," a voice broke in. "_You say Caedus killed the Empress?_"

"Turn the _Retaliator_ toward the _Executioner_ and prepare to fire," Jacen said calmly, glancing over at Qeris.

She honestly couldn't tell whether he meant to actually fire the superlaser or not; she could sense nothing of his true intentions. Regardless, she obeyed, turning to the controls. One of the monitors reported that someone was frantically trying to override her console, but since it had been specifically designed to lock out all other control systems when the lockdown was active, she knew the effort was futile.

Jacen reached over to key the holographic pickup, broadcasting a hologram of himself to all available transmitters on both stations and the hundreds of vessels within and around them.

"This is the way things are," he began as the massive Death Star began to rotate toward its counterpart. "I have killed the Empress. I have activated the emergency lockdown on the _Retaliator_, and I am in complete control of its systems. If you threaten me, Grand Admiral, I will not hesitate to destroy the _Executioner_."

There was a long pause on the other end of the comm. Then, finally: "_What are your demands?"_

"Demands?" Jacen scoffed. "As your Empress' appointed heir, I will be giving you _orders_."

"_You listen to me, boy,"_ Grand Admiral Solo snarled. "_I know what you are: a freak and a traitor. I will _die_ before I take orders from you!"_

"Think of your men, Admiral," Jacen replied with enviable calm. "Do they all share your opinion? Are you willing to sacrifice them along with yourself out of some sense of misplaced loyalty to a dead tyrant?"

"Target locked, sir," Qeris said, knowing her words would be audible through the transmission. "Main weapon ready to fire at your command."

"_I call on all loyal soldiers of the Empire to storm that control room and kill that man!" _Grand Admiral Solo shouted. "_He is _not_ the Empress' son, and he has _no_ right to issue orders!_"

"No, I admit I do not," Jacen said smoothly, again surprising Qeris. "I am not the Empress' apprentice, and I am _not_ Darth Caedus. I am Jacen Solo, Jedi. I do not currently have any right to issue orders to you or any of your men. But I would like that right."

"_What?_" the Grand Admiral transmitted back, surprised.

"Listen to me," Jacen went on, speaking now to all the soldiers watching the transmission. "I am going to use this station for good instead of evil, to protect instead of to destroy. Join me, and we can stop the senseless bloodshed perpetuated by the Empress. Under my command, you can fulfill the true purpose of an army: to defend the innocent, not oppress them.

"Where I come from, the galaxy is stable, at peace, but now that peace is threatened by a barbarian horde with no sense of decency or mercy, whose only goal is to enslave and destroy. The Yuuzhan Vong are numerous, and they are savages who refuse to negotiate or abide by any sort of terms. This station, your ships, _you_ have been used to destroy those undeserving of destruction, but if you come with me, that will end. Together, we can defend the galaxy against the barbarians! The Empress is dead, and without her the Empire will soon crumble into ashes. If you wish to join me, to become true soldiers instead of thugs and bullies, then come aboard and prepare yourselves. If not… leave my station now."

For several tense minutes, all was silent, but Jacen maintained his expression: resolved but inviting.

Finally a hail came in, and at a subtle gesture from Jacen Qeris put it through.

"_This is Captain Vellick of the _Punisher._ My crew and I are with you, sir."_

Another hail. "_This is Captain Harbatkin of the _Nemesis. _We're with you, too."_

"_This is Captain Geron of the _Dauntless. _We're with you."_

More ships hailed in, too many for comm traffic to handle. Crewmen from all over the _Retaliator_ signaled in that they, too, would join him, and some from the _Executioner,_ as well. Some ships launched away from their station, and one even fired on them, but it was quickly subdued by other vessels even before Jacen could give the order.

The commander of the _Executioner_, however, had been suspiciously silent thus far. Qeris gave Jacen a meaningful look, and he nodded fractionally.

"You have a choice, Admiral," he said. "I won't force you or anyone else to come with me. This galaxy is not my home, and I do not have any rightful say in what happens here. But you can make a difference. Without the Empress, you can make this Empire into something more than an oppressive regime. You can be a true soldier, too."

"_Grand Admiral Solo to all troops,_" he said instead of replying. "_The _Executioner_ is leaving this system in one hour. Anyone who isn't staying where they are had better move quickly."_ He cut the transmission.

Jacen paused for just a fraction of a second, frowning slightly, then he, too ended his transmission. "I have one last thing to do while we're in lockdown," he said to Qeris. "Locate all files pertaining to the transition device, and make sure they're _all_ in our secure servers."

"You don't want him following you home in case he changes his mind," she said knowingly.

He nodded once.

"There are a truly alarming number of override protocols in this system," she said. "I'm sure I'll be able to find everything."

Jacen hesitated, looking over at her again. "Will you… be all right to do that? It'll probably take a while, and you need medical attention."

Qeris gave him a reassuring smile. "You've already healed most of my injuries. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure," he said doubtfully, his concern touchingly obvious.

"I'll be fine," she repeated. "And so will you."

Again, he nodded once, and they set to work.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	23. Up In Flames

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Three<strong>  
>(Up In Flames)<p>

_In the darkness, Jenn could hear nothing but mocking laughter and smell only the stench of smoke. She knew she was asleep, trapped in some nightmare, but she could not wake, could only wander in fire and night, tormented by laughter._

"_You failed," Pyrron's raspy voice said, seeming to come from all around her. "You cause more death and destruction with all you do, as you always have. You are a monster, a bringer of chaos, fanning the flames whether you want to or not. Though you try to fight me, you only serve my cause. Join me, become one with the Fire, and end the chaos once and for all…"_

"_By destroying everything?" Jenn said scornfully. "I will _never_ help you."_

"_But you already have," Pyrron said sardonically. "Without you, I never would have found this station, the great factory of war that is even now building my cleansing fleet. You let me into your mind, let me follow you, and though you claim to reject me, you have done more for my cause than any of my other servants. You have caused much destruction in your life already, Jennyrija Talmak; as one of my embers, you could continue your course, wipe this galaxy clean so that it may grow anew."_

"_You're right," Jenn admitted, "I've killed a lot of people, both with my own hands and through my actions." She paused, casting a determined glare into the darkness. "And when I get back to your Star Forge, you're going to find out just how destructive I can be."_

_Pyrron laughed derisively. "Such bold words. But your ship is crippled, stranded far from any possibility of rescue, and even now I am hunting for you. If you will not join me, you will be destroyed, you and all your friends." He paused. "Even the returning one who was close to you for so long, now stronger than ever before… This station sings with recognition, reaches out to its brother… I have him now. He will burn, and you will listen, Jennyrija Talmak. You have done this, have given me the power to destroy your friend."_

"_No!" Jenn shouted into the smoky silence. "Revan!" She tried to shout to her friend, to warn him, but could not tell if he heard her._

"_He fights me," Pyrron said. "He is strong, but he will burn. He will…" He trailed off, and she sensed him straining with effort. "He is strong," he said again, voice distorted oddly._

_A groaning rumble echoed through the ash-choked darkness, and Jenn could sense a terrible clash of power as Pyrron and Revan, each in control of a Star Forge, struggled against one another across the cosmic distance. In Jenn's nightmare, she saw surges of flame swirling around a powerful beacon of light, and it was as if she stood between two hurricanes hurling themselves against one another._

_Abruptly, Pyrron pulled back, and the glowing maelstrom that was Revan's power flared, a clear wordless warning._

"_This station feeds my power even as I feed it, making me ever stronger," Pyrron hissed in rage. "He will burn soon, but you will burn NOW!"_

_A white-hot fire ignited within her, and Jenn could only scream…_

* * *

><p>Above Belkadan in the <em>Argent Hawk<em>, Ami heard the scream through the Force, looking up from her datapad across the compartment at her mother, whose hand had reflexively dropped to the hilt of her lightsaber.

"What is that?" Tahiri asked, also looking over at Mara.

"It's Jenn," Mara said distractedly, closing her eyes in concentration. "No, it's _all_ of them. Ben!"

* * *

><p>"Anakin!" Leia cried in her seat at the rear of <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, sensing her son's wordless mental scream.

"What is it?" she heard Thrawn say; though he was only meters away, his voice was faint in her ears, drowned out by what she felt through the Force.

"_Mom, what's going on?"_ Jaina's voice said through the comm speakers next to her chair. "_What's happening to them?_"

"Master Organa Solo?" Admiral Piett was standing in front of her now, full of concern, but she looked through him without seeing.

* * *

><p>In the Senate rotunda on Alderaan, in the middle of the floor beneath the concentric rings of seats filled with representatives from all over the Republic, Luke suddenly stopped in the middle of his speech and had to brace himself against the podium. "Ben!"<p>

* * *

><p><em>He's attacking them!<em> Revan's voice shouted to them all through the Force, amplified by the power of the Star Forge. _Help me!_

* * *

><p>Aboard the <em>Jade Sabre<em>, Whistler screeched in alarm as the medical sensors placed on all four of the sleeping humans registered a sudden dramatic surge in body temperature.

"_What's going on?_" Blue Max yelled over the comm from the engine compartment where he and Bollux were working. "_What do we do? What do we do?_"

"_Lower the temperature in the cabin!_" Bollux ordered with uncharacteristic firmness. "_Cut them out of their clothing and start packing them in ice if you have to. We're on our way."_

Whistler bleeped worriedly to himself as he wirelessly linked in with the temperature controls, extending a probe to touch the skin of his master's hand. Independently from the medical sensors, he registered an abnormally high body temperature, well into fever levels.

Why were all four of them doing this at once? A myriad of possibilities blazed through his circuits, looping faster and faster until he shook with the electronic equivalent of panic.

* * *

><p>"What is she doing?" Piett asked Thrawn, looking over at the Grand Admiral as he rose from his chair and approached.<p>

Thrawn stopped beside him wordlessly, looking at Organa Solo where she sat silently with a pained expression, her eyes squeezed closed, her hands clenching the armrests of her chair with white-knuckled intensity.

Outside the bridge viewports, battle raged between the fleet and its latest Yuuzhan Vong targets, though their formations were no longer as organized, their firing patterns no longer as precise. Ships began to explode beneath Vong fire with more frequency.

"Master Solo," Thrawn said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Master Solo!"

She did not respond.

The white-uniformed admiral straightened, his expression one of puzzlement. He swiftly returned to his command chair and touched one of the comm buttons. "Grand Admiral Thrawn to any Jedi," he said, glancing back at Organa Solo briefly. "Please respond."

There was no immediate reply. Moments later, officers from across the fleet called in to report that all Jedi were similarly unresponsive, frozen at their stations.

"Sir, hyperspace activity! Incoming contacts!" the sensor officer said suddenly.

"On screen," Thrawn ordered, turning to the large display screen next to his command station.

"At least a hundred ships, none broadcasting IDs," the sensor officer continued.

"Vong?" Piett asked, peering at the swarm of contacts spreading out from the entry point high 'above' them.

"Negative, sir; high metal content," the sensor officer said tersely, staring intently at his monitors as more information came in. "Running configurations…" He paused, clearly puzzled, and Thrawn looked over at him.

"Report."

"Sir, preliminary identification indicates…" he read from his monitor, a clear note of disbelief in his voice, "Trade Federation battleships, old Republic _Venator_-class Star Destroyers, and Rendili Dreadnaughts."

"What did they do, raid a junkyard?" Piett exclaimed.

"I'm also reading Corellian Engineering Corporation corvettes and yachts and a multitude of civilian vessels, some of which the system doesn't recognize," the sensor officer went on. "Sensor buoys relaying visual telemetry… now."

Though the image was blurry with distance and the target's speed, Piett immediately recognized the broken-circle design of an old Trade Federation battleship, its hull painted in seemingly random swirls of orange, red and yellow. About half of its running lights seemed burned out, leaving parts of it in smoky shadow.

"It looks like that corvette that attacked some of our ships earlier," Piett observed.

"It's the fire cult," said Thrawn. "Helm, pull us back out of their firing range." He looked over at Piett. "With the Jedi incapacitated, it is perhaps unwise to face both these fleets at once."

"Sir, the unidentified ships are firing on the Yuuzhan Vong," the sensor officer reported.

"The _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ is taking heavy fire from two of the Dreadnaughts," the senior comm officer relayed. "They are requesting assistance."

"Instruct all batteries along the starboard bow to provide covering fire," Piett ordered the fire control officer.

"Broad-spectrum hail from one of the unidentified ships," the junior comm officer said.

"Put it through," said Thrawn.

"_We are the Burned,"_ a raspy voice said over the bridge speakers. "_Our cleansing Fire has come to purge the unworthy. If you are not part of the Fire, you will be consumed by it."_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Piett said, incredulous.

"It means, Admiral, that we should step back for a moment to assess the situation," Thrawn said. "Helm, calculate a micro-jump further out into the system." He touched the comm panel on his command chair. "All ships, this is Thrawn. Break contact and prepare to retreat. Jump coordinates will follow."

"Docking control, recall all ships without hyperdrives. All batteries, covering fire," Piett ordered. "I want this ship ready to jump in three minutes."

"Sir, our hyperspace vector is blocked!" reported the helmsman. "It looks like one of the Interdictors has their gravity well projectors angled too close to us."

"Damn," Piett swore under his breath; without the Jedi, there was no way to communicate with the stealth Interdictors, which were under total comm silence to further conceal their positions.

He turned to the sensor station to find the junior sensor officer frowning at her board. "What is it?" he asked, quickly descending the crew pit stairs.

"I'm registering more mass-shadows moving behind us, sir, behind the entire fleet," she reported, not looking up from her monitors. "It's like some of the Interdictors are deliberately blocking our vector."

"What?" Piett exclaimed in puzzlement, leaning over the board to look for himself. "Why would they…?"

"The Interdictors are clearly no longer operating under our orders," Thrawn said grimly from the command walkway above them, looking through the viewports out at the increasingly chaotic battle outside. "One or more must have been taken over by these fire cultists." He crossed his arms, frowning. "It appears, Admiral, that we have no choice but to stand our ground and fight."

* * *

><p>Sleep.<p>

Such a long, restless sleep, disturbed more and more recently; more and more pushes against its slumber.

Power flickered and strained, spiking into its awareness. Another struggle.

This was a pivotal moment, the power whispered in a familiar voice. It could make a difference with the right choice.

It tasted the power, pondering the strange bitter flavors now seeping in.

The choice was made.

It awoke, and moved to act.

* * *

><p>"Respond! Blue Three, respond!"<p>

Once again, there was no answer, and Jagged Fel hissed a breath through his teeth in frustration. The general frequency was chaotic with chatter about how all the Jedi had suddenly gone comatose or were in deep states of concentration, not responding to anyone around them. Jaina Solo was evidently no exception; aside from one brief transmission to the _Executor_ a few minutes ago, she had said nothing, her fighter drifting along aimlessly without apparent control. Fel and Zekk were currently covering Solo's fighter while trying to contact her, what remained of their squadron similarly engaged in defending them.

"_Executor_ Fighter Control, request immediate autopilot recall on Blue Three," Fel transmitted to the flagship.

"_Stand by,_ _Blue Leader,"_ came the slightly frantic reply. "_Blue Three's computer is not responding."_

Fel hissed out another frustrated sigh. Things were going absolutely crazy out here, with the newly arrived fire cult ships attacking both the Vong and the allied fleet, the Vong attacking anything that moved in apparent panic, and the allied fleet trapped in the crossfire, just trying to stay alive.

One of the Burned fleet's Dreadnaughts accelerated straight toward the Republic Star Cruiser _Emancipator_ and, as Fel watched, horrified, deliberately rammed it, sending both ships into supernova-bright explosions that consumed everything in close proximity. The comm flared with screams cut short by ear-blasting static.

_Executor_ lashed out with her superlaser, obliterating one of the broken-circle Trade Federation ships, but more Burned vessels swept in, now launching fighters in swarms. Green and orange turbolaser fire flashed between the fleets like tidal waves of light, setting off more explosions all the time, and through it all came the hulking coral dreadnaughts of the Yuuzhan Vong, indiscriminately launching magma blasts in all directions.

Silently, Fel cursed to himself that TIE Interceptors weren't equipped with any form of tractor beam, nor could he remotely slave Blue Three's controls to his own ship. The longer Jaina stayed out here in whatever trance had taken over the Jedi, the more likely a stray turbolaser, magma blast, or torpedo would destroy her fighter. Blue Squadron couldn't catch everything, and with all the sustained combat today, his fighter's fuel was nearly spent anyway.

A group of three Republic A-wings swooped past Fel's position, madly accelerating to get away from a flight of coralskippers. Two B-wings came from above to assist, but both were caught in a sudden turbolaser blast from one of the Burned ships, followed by the Vong coralskippers and one of the A-wings.

"_Blue Leader, this is the _Millennium Falcon_,"_ General Solo's voice said over the squadron frequency suddenly, accompanied by a Wookiee roar in the background. "_We're on our way to your position- Whoa!_" He was silent for a moment, then continued. "_Damn it, there goes the sensor dish. Blue Leader, we're going to need your group's telemetry to locate Blue Three._"

"Transmitting now, _Falcon_," Fel said, punching up the data. "Are you going to take her in tow?"

"_Well, I _was_ going to try, but that turbolaser blast knocked out my cargo tractors, too," _Solo replied._ "Nearly took off my port cargo mandible."_ Chewbacca snarled something in the background to which Solo replied, the mic still on, "_Then get back there and fix it! We're gonna need it if we're gonna snag her with the docking collar._"

Beneath his flight helmet, Fel's brows drew together in puzzlement before he realized he was about to bear witness to one of Han Solo's legendarily insane plans.

"Negative, _Falcon!_" he said in alarm. "If your tractors are out, just help us provide covering fire until _Executor_ can activate her recall."

"_In case you hadn't noticed, junior," _Han replied caustically, "Executor_ has her big blue hands full just staying alive right now. I am not leaving my daughter out here in this firestorm one picosecond longer than I have to."_

"Oh, hell," Fel muttered to himself. He turned his mic back on and said, "Blue Squadron, close up formation around Three and prepare to render assistance to the _Falcon_."

"_What's he doing?_" Zekk asked on a direct line.

"Astonishing me if he actually manages to do it without getting both of them blown up," Fel replied, angling his fighter closer to the drifting Blue Three. "He's going to try to lock his docking collar on the hatch of her fighter and pull her out."

"_Oh, hell,_" Zekk replied.

"My thoughts exactly, Blue Two," Fel replied with black humor. "But on the other hand-"

He broke off to lock his targeting computer on a Burned fighter, what looked like an old Z-95 Headhunter, and sent a blast of laser fire from all four wingtip cannons stitching across the Headhunter's wings before finishing it off with a concussion missile.

"_The longer she drifts out here, the more likely she is to catch a stray turbolaser bolt or get rammed by a skip or something," _Zekk finished, his own fighter flashing with green blaster fire to intercept another Z-95 that was heading for Jaina. "_He certainly has courage._"

"That's one way to put it," said Fel.

* * *

><p>"All right, Chewie, this is gonna take some tricky maneuvering," Han said as the <em>Falcon<em> came into visual range of his daughter's fighter. "We're gonna have to match her speed and course exactly."

The big Wookiee grumbled agreement as he returned to the cockpit, adding an unhappy growl.

"If I _had_ another way to do this, would I be trying this one?" Han growled back, hands clenched around the controls. "Her computer's not responding, and unless she wakes up right now…"

He couldn't bring himself to finish. He couldn't handle potentially losing all three of his children so quickly, he just couldn't. He could barely concentrate as it was.

"All right, keep us steady and get us closer _slowly_," Han said as Chewbacca took control of their vessel. "I'm going back to the airlock to launch the docking collar. We're only gonna get one, maybe two tries at this, so let's get it right."

The _Falcon_ shook with laser fire, and Chewbacca bellowed a coarse invocation for their attackers to leave them alone.

"You said it pal," Han muttered tensely as he rushed down the cockpit corridor to the starboard airlock.

He crawled up to the tiny porthole there, straining to see Jaina's Interceptor through all the fire flying around outside. One hand on the docking collar controls, he shifted for a better position, grunting with effort. Technically, he wasn't supposed to do it this way, but with their sensor dish gone and their only telemetry a relay from the rest of her squadron, he didn't have precise enough data to feed into the computer for a fully automated emergency dock.

Besides, computers were too stupid to do anything like this, anyway, Han thought to himself. Some things just needed a human touch.

He could feet sweat slipping down his temples and beading on his upper lip as he carefully aligned the controls, chanting a steady stream of slight maneuvers up to Chewbacca in the cockpit to get the two ships lined up.

When he thought they were ready, Han launched the docking collar, watching it snake out on the end of its clear plastic tube down to Jaina's Interceptor. Her ship shifted slightly at the last second, and the collar bounced off her wing instead of latching onto her cockpit.

Han let out a blistering string of invective as he retracted the docking collar, cursing the Vong, the Burned, and especially Imperial engineers for not including astromech sockets in TIE Interceptors; with a droid able to take control of her ship's maneuvering thrusters, his job would have been about a hundred times easier.

"Get us a few meters closer!" Han shouted up to Chewbacca.

The Wookiee let out a frustrated bellow; they were already too close for safe maneuvering, but he would still try.

Han had his nose mashed against the porthole, arm stretched painfully down to the controls as he aligned the collar again. By force of will he kept his fingers from shaking as he painstakingly manipulated the controls, pouring all his concentration into locking on to the upper hatch of the fighter. For perhaps the first time in his life, Han wished he could touch the power his wife and children had, could use it to make absolutely sure this would work.

The _Falcon_ shook with weapons fire again just as he was about to launch the collar, and Han hurled an abrasive chain of profanity at their attackers, nearly slipping from his precarious perch.

Other TIE Interceptors flashed past around them with their wings spitting green fire, chasing away the flight of coralskippers. As the _Falcon_ steadied again, Han took a deep breath, forcing himself to narrow his concentration to a tunnel between himself and his daughter, a tiny sliver of space that was practically a light-year in the morass around them.

His fingers pressed against the cold transparisteel of the porthole, Han paused to make one last infinitesimal adjustment to the controls with his other hand, and then stabbed his finger down onto the launch button.

Again the docking collar leaped out on its slender transparent thread, and he held his breath as it stretched toward the angular black shape of the Interceptor.

It latched on, and a moment later the controls beeped, signaling a secure connection.

"Yes! Oh, kriff!" he cheered, then cursed as he slipped backwards off his perch. He barely managed to land on his feet, launching himself back toward the controls to start pressurizing the docking tunnel.

Han snatched a breath mask off the rack and ducked into the airlock, then impatiently waited for it to cycle through. Once the outer hatch opened, he leaped up, fighting down the nausea that came with the disorientation of zero-g. He also tried very hard not to think about the slim plastic tube that was now the only thing between himself and cold space flashing with fire outside.

A ship outside exploded, and Han immediately threw his arm up over his eyes, tugging his jacket over his face to shield himself from the blinding flash; in here, he had no automatic polarization like the viewports in the cockpit. He still had to blink away the afterimages of the explosion, nearly smacking his head on the hull of the Interceptor.

Grunting with effort, Han pried at the emergency release of the fighter's hatch, bracing his boots against the hull to give himself some leverage. The stubborn latch refused to move, and Han kicked it as hard as he could in desperation.

With a slight hiss of releasing pressure, it sprang free, and he shoved it aside, then dropped feet-first into the cockpit. Crouching uncomfortably next to the pilot's seat, he shook Jaina's shoulder, but received no response.

He fumbled at the unfamiliar clasps of her armor for a moment, then pulled her helmet up a few centimeters. Han breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers found the pulse in her neck, then he shoved the helmet back down until it clicked against her collar. A quiet whining hiss announced her armor's automatic pressurization.

Han pulled Jaina free of her chair's crash webbing, then shoved her bodily up into the docking tunnel. A slight flashing drew his attention, and then his eyes widened as he looked at the fighter's screens and realized they were indicating target lock by an enemy fighter.

One arm around his daughter's waist, Han scrambled back up the docking tunnel, clawing against the plastic with his other hand in a desperate attempt to propel them back toward the _Falcon_ faster.

As the airlock's outer hatch cycled open, a laser blast tore through the docking tunnel below them. Han barely managed to hook an elbow through one of the metal bars inside the airlock before the vacuum began to tug at them, straining both his arms horribly. Immediately, he exhaled; Jaina's suit was pressurized, but he had only a breath mask, and he knew the sudden loss of pressure could rupture his lungs. He had only seconds now to get them both inside the airlock.

Struggling mightily against the tremendous sucking of the vacuum through the broken end of the docking tunnel, Han pulled Jaina into the airlock, bracing his feet against the edges of the hatch. He mashed the controls with the back of his head, the only part of him within reach of the panel, and barely managed to snatch Jaina's feet inside before the hatch slammed closed.

Blessedly warm air rushed over Han's face as the airlock pressurized, and he clawed his breath mask off, sucking in a deep breath. He slapped the comm panel with one hand. "Chewie, get us out of here!"

Even as the Wookiee bellowed back, the _Falcon _rocked as the Interceptor exploded beside it, sending Han and Jaina tumbling inside through the opening airlock.

He groaned, trying to push his daughter off his legs, the heavy weight of her armor pinning him to the deck. "What's this stuff made of, neutronium?" he grunted, shoving at her shoulder.

Finally, he succeeded in rolling her off his legs onto her back, and he ignored the pain in his legs as he knelt beside her, tugging at her helmet clasps again. Once Han got Jaina's helmet off, he tossed it aside, placing his fingers on her forehead. "Oh, you're burning up," he breathed, feeling feverish heat in her brow. "What in all nine hells is going on?"

Jaina suddenly opened her eyes and screamed, "He's gone!"

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett jumped as Organa Solo gasped in a breath behind him and said, "He's gone!"

"What is it, Master Solo?" Thrawn asked her, leaning over the arm of his command chair to look over at her.

"He's gone," Organa Solo repeated without looking at him. "Just… gone."

* * *

><p>"Ben's gone!" Ami sobbed, collapsing back in her chair in <em>Argent Hawk<em>'s main hold as the ship leaped to hyperspace. "He's gone, he's _gone!_"

Her mother looked close to tears herself, the first time Ami had ever seen her that way. The nails of her hands dug into the cushion of the couch. "Ben…" Mara said in a pained whisper.

Ami felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see her grandfather standing over her, his face grim but not distraught. "He is alive," Vader said with quiet determination.

"How do you know?" she demanded hysterically. "He just… vanished from the Force!"

"They are alive," Vader repeated, and he said it with such confidence that Ami felt herself somehow reassured, and she began to calm back down.

"How do you know?" Mara echoed her daughter, voice taut with emotion.

"I have felt the deaths of many Jedi," Vader replied, oddly calm. "And death was not what I sensed from the four of them. Rather, they…" A sudden realization came over his face. "It was as if they were merely cut off from the Force, not joining with it… Jacen."

"What?" Mara said, confused.

But Vader did not reply, his expression distant, as if lost in thought.

* * *

><p>"Admiral, hyperspace activity!" the sensor officer shouted across <em>Executor<em>'s bridge. "Incoming contact… A big one!"

"Oh, what now?" Piett growled under his breath, turning to the display screen beside Thrawn's command chair.

"It's… huge," the sensor officer said, astonished. "A sphere… almost two hundred kilometers across!"

"Two hundred kilometers?" Piett echoed incredulously. "What is it, a moon?"

"No, a space station," Thrawn said thoughtfully, studying the screen. "A station I thought was never built."

Before Piett could ask what he meant, the comm officer reported, "It's hailing, broad-spectrum transmission."

"Put it through," Thrawn ordered.

"_Republic fleet, this is the battle station _Phoenix," said a young human male voice. "_How may we render assistance?"_

"Battle station _Phoenix,_ this is the _Executor_," Thrawn said, tapping at the controls on the arm of his chair. "We are sending you the recognition codes for our fleet. Any ship not broadcasting these codes is hostile, repeat, hostile."

"_Codes received, _Executor," the young man replied. "_Withdraw your ships from the battle._"

"Our Interdictors are either malfunctioning or have been captured by the enemy," Thrawn replied. "We cannot jump to lightspeed at this time."

"_I don't need you to jump to lightspeed,"_ the young man replied as the enormous gray sphere came into view through the starboard viewports, seeming to rapidly increase in size as it approached. "_I just need you to get out of the way."_

Thrawn's glowing red eyes widened slightly as he seemed to come to a sudden realization. "All ships withdraw!" he ordered urgently. "Repeat, all ships move away from the battle at maximum sublight!"

"What's he going to-" Piett broke off as eight bright green points of light glowed to life around the massive crater-like dish array in the moon-sized station's upper hemisphere.

As he watched, the eight green points lanced out as bright lines before joining together into one enormous laser beam that smashed into the brawling Vong and Burned ships like a battering ram. Dozens of explosions joined into one huge cluster, until it seemed that one enormous fireball covered the entire battle zone. Piett raised a hand to shield his eyes.

When the flickering light finally faded away, only a few ships from either once-numerous fleet remained, drifting slowly as if stunned. As Piett watched, each of the eight green superlasers angled independently and fired again, eliminating an equal number of enemy warships. Then, a bright cloud of Imperial-style warships and fighters flooded forth from cavernous hangar bays on the battle station, surging out to finish off the rest of the Burned and Vong vessels.

"_Grand Admiral Thrawn, this is Admiral Ackbar,"_ the Mon Calamarian's gravelly voice came over the comm. "_Who commands that station?_"

"Admiral, as soon as this engagement is over," Thrawn said distractedly, peering intently at the huge station and its fleet as they swiftly eliminated the remnants of the enemy fleets, "I intend to find out."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Substantial portions of this chapter were written while listening to 'The Asteroid Field' and other tracks from the <em>'Empire Strikes Back'<em> soundtrack on repeat. Nobody does crazy plans like Han Solo. ;) Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!


	24. Phoenix Ascendant

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Four<strong>  
>(Phoenix Ascendant)<p>

Mara paced the main hold of _Argent Hawk_ as it raced through hyperspace, listening to the low background rumble of the hyperdrive. Though pinpointing a location was nearly impossible while traveling at such high speed, she still stretched out into the Force, questing after any trace of her son and the others, some sign that they were alive. Vader steadfastly maintained that they were not dead, and he was so assured of this that over the last few days she had come to believe it herself, even though evidence to back it up was scanty.

Still, at least it gave hope.

"There is precedent for this," Tionne said from her chair across the hold, looking up at Mara.

"What do you mean?"

"Master Talmak has done this before, if my guess is correct," Tionne went on. "By her own account, she once subconsciously cut herself off from the Force to protect herself from the effects of the destruction of Malachor V. We all sensed the strength of the attack upon her and the others; even with all of us joined with Revan in an attempt to shield them, her connection may well have been severed once again. And since she and the others were in a way joined through the attempt on their lives, it is possible that they too were affected."

"So, they're alive, but just cut off from the Force right now?" Tahiri asked.

"Correct," Tionne replied with a slight frown. "It will make locating them much more difficult; even the narrowed search field provided to us by the Ex-Gal sensors is still several light-years square."

"There's another problem," Mara said with a frown of her own. "Jenn said it took her ten years to regain her connection to the Force after Malachor."

"Better that than incinerated from the inside out," Ami said pragmatically.

"Speaking of that," Tionne said thoughtfully, "what I sensed through the meld was most odd. Obviously the Burned Lord's power bears no resemblance to that of a Jedi, but neither could I sense the Dark Side in what he did. He was definitely using the Force, but… not in a way I have ever felt before."

"I don't know how to describe it, either," Mara agreed. "That entire experience was… strange."

"When those strong in the Force work together for a common objective, extraordinary things can be done," Darth Vader said as he strode into the hold, dressed as usual in his black uniform and cloak. "You of all people should know that, Jade," he said, looking at her. "You assisted me in reviving my wife."

"About that," Mara said, placing her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you talk to her when we stopped at Alderaan? We were there for hours; you had plenty of time."

Vader's face went completely expressionless; only because she knew him so well was Mara able to sense his discomfort. "She was busy," he said shortly.

"I think she might have made time," Mara said dryly, making little effort to conceal her exasperation. "Padmé has been waiting to talk to you since we left for Korriban twenty years ago. You're the one who's stayed away from her."

"This does not concern you," Vader said stiffly, placing his hands on his belt on either side of the buckle.

"Like it or not, I'm part of your family, so it _does_ concern me," Mara rejoined. "Something you seem to keep forgetting lately is that I grew up around you, and I know you better than most people. What happened between the two of you was decades ago, even to her. I don't care one bit whether you patch things up or not, but pretending that you have nothing to say to each other is stupid and makes everything needlessly unpleasant. If you really want to be part of this family, we're willing to work with you, but you won't be able to keep ignoring her forever."

Vader's scarred brows drew together fractionally. "This is not the proper time for this discussion," he said tersely, and without another word he strode past her and headed up to the cockpit.

Mara scoffed. "Why do I even bother?"

"Because it's what Dad wants you to do," Ami said softly, her expression one of quiet earnestness. "It's… what I want, too."

"Really?"

Ami nodded once. "I haven't spent much time with him since he came back, but… I want to get to know him better."

Mara sighed, looking over at her daughter. "Honestly, Ami, I really couldn't tell you right now whether that's a good idea or not."

* * *

><p>"I'm really worried about him, Mom," Jaina said, placing her hands on the game-board table in the main hold of the <em>Millennium Falcon<em>. "Jacen's been back for almost a week, and in all that time he hasn't said two words to me."

"I don't understand it, either," Han said from the other end of the curved acceleration couch. "He didn't even call us after the battle. He just told Thrawn he was going to finish off the rest of the Vong in the system and off he went. I don't even know where he is right now."

"Something happened to him out there," Leia said quietly where she sat between them. "I sense… great pain, anguish, but when I try to reach out to him, he just pushes me away."

"Me, too," said Jaina. "How could he not want to talk to us? I don't understand."

"Luke said he might have been… tortured," Leia said. "When he was captured by the Sith Lord who controlled that station."

"And that's another thing making me nervous," Han said, leaning forward in his seat. "That battle station and the whole 'Phoenix Fleet' that was inside all answer to him now, like he's some kind of Emperor in the making? That isn't like him."

"I wish he would talk to us," Jaina said, frustrated. "There's just… so much happening."

* * *

><p>"Thank you for your report, Qeris," Jag Fel said, looking up at her from behind his desk in his office deep within <em>Executor<em>. "That's… quite a story."

She nodded once without replying. Qeris seemed somehow different now; her crimson and black armor and dark red cloak were as impeccably maintained as ever, her long black hair bound back in its usual intricate braids and her posture laser-straight as it always had been, but in her eyes Fel saw something he'd never seen before, something he wasn't quite able to identify.

"So is Solo going to turn this Death Star over to the Republic or the Empire?" Zekk asked his fellow Imperial Knight.

"Neither," Qeris replied, glancing at him sidelong. "Commander Solo wishes Phoenix Fleet to remain independent. He is perfectly willing to work with the Republic and the Empire, but the Death Star is such a great weapon that he is unwilling to relinquish control at this time. My understanding, sir," she said, looking over at Fel, "is that for now he doesn't trust anyone else with the station."

"Understandable, given his recent experiences," Fel replied. "I'll contact my father to see what he wants us to do, but for now my recommendation will be to agree to Chancellor Amidala's offer for a summit to discuss the course of the war. There are new players on both sides now, and we need to find a way for us all to work together to end this war quickly."

"Agreed, sir," said Qeris. Her expression indicated she had more to say.

Fel looked up at her. "Was there something else?"

"If I may, sir," she said, "I request permission to remain with Phoenix Fleet as liaison."

Fel nodded. "I assume the Republic will be wanting to send a similar representative aboard the _Phoenix_ at some point, likely a member of Solo's family. Permission granted."

Qeris' lips quirked in a very slight, though pleased smile. "Thank you, sir." She turned to leave.

Before she reached the door, Fel said to her, "And Qeris? Thank you. Your service has been exemplary, and I will see that you are commended by the Emperor himself."

Qeris gave him another very slight smile. "Thank you sir, but a soldier needs no reward for doing her duty." And with that, she left.

"What do you suppose that means?" Zekk said after the door closed behind her.

"I'm not sure," Fel replied with a thoughtful frown, drumming his fingers against the top of his desk. "I never can tell what she's thinking."

"I sensed… scars," Zekk said slowly, looking at the door. "The aftereffects of great pain. But also a sense of peace… happiness, and that's what I don't understand."

Fel shrugged. "If she's happy now, for whatever reason, she certainly deserves it."

* * *

><p>In the otherwise empty hangar bay of one of the Burned vessels, a Dreadnaught, Malysa Kolos narrowed her eyes at the tall rust-red assassin droid in front of her. "No survivors at all?" she said incredulously. "But this ship didn't have any hull breaches! The only damage was to the engines, which was why we decided to board this one!"<p>

HK-47 swiveled his head fractionally in the droid equivalent of a shrug. "Puzzled Agreement: Yes, Master Kolos, this ship's meatbag crew should have survived the battle, but the YVHK units and I have found nothing but ashes. Supposition: Given the nature of these cultists, it is possible that when faced with capture after their vessel was disabled, they self-immolated."

Malysa frowned. "Well, that's just great. Now we're fighting _two_ armies of fanatics who kill themselves before we can interrogate them."

"Agreement: Meatbags who are willing to override their own self-preservation protocols are most unsatisfying."

Malysa closed her eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That is not what I meant and you know it."

HK's photoreceptors flashed. "Indignant Reply: I was agreeing with you! Complaint: Sometimes I just don't understand meatbag behavior."

Malysa glared at him. "You're calling me a meatbag more often now because I told you to stop, aren't you?"

HK swiveled his head slightly away from her. "Blatant Lie: I would never do such a thing." He paused, making a sort of electronic grumble. "Frustrated Exclamation: Damn my vocabulator protocols! I shall have a word with Master Revan about this the next time I see him."

"Do I ever get asked to speak to the Senate or negotiate treaties or organize evacuations? No," Malysa grumbled to herself as she walked off, finishing her sweep of the hangar bay complex. "I'm always the one stepping over dead bodies, dealing with homicidal psychopathic assassin droids, cleaning up other people's messes and getting them out of trouble."

"Mocking Reminder:" came HK's voice from behind her; he was following her. "Is not the first line of your Jedi Code: 'There is no emotion, there is peace'?"

Malysa stopped and glared at the droid again. "I think _I'm_ the one who's going to have a word with Revan about you."

* * *

><p>On her way back to <em>Executor<em>'s hangar bay, Qeris sensed someone approaching and heard brisk footsteps echoing down the cool gray-walled corridor. She paused, looking back over her shoulder to see a young woman in dark gray fatigues and black boots with a lightsaber clipped to her belt, her long brown hair bound in a single braid that hung over her shoulder.

"Your name's Qeris, isn't it?" Jacen's sister asked as she drew closer. "We've only met once or twice, I think."

"Yes," Qeris replied politely, turning to face her. "Do you need something?"

"If you're going back to Jacen, I'm coming with you," Jaina said firmly, as if anticipating objection.

Qeris hesitated. She wasn't sure why Jacen hadn't spoken to his family yet, but she was sure he had a reason. She'd been meaning to ask him about it, but they'd both been so busy getting Phoenix Fleet organized and planning their strategy that she hadn't had a chance.

"One of my brothers is lost in intergalactic space and might be dead," Jaina went on. "And the other, who we thought was dead, is actually alive but being a colossal ass and ignoring us, and I'm going to ask him why."

"Jacen has been under a great deal of strain lately," Qeris said gently, trying to think of some way to persuade his sister to stay here.

"Which would be why he needs to talk to his family," Jaina persisted. "If he's not going to come to us, then I'm going to him."

Qeris hesitated again, still trying to think of what to say, but finally gave up, realizing the futility of trying to argue. Jaina was clearly set on accompanying her back to the _Phoenix_, and nothing short of force could persuade her otherwise. Even if Qeris was inclined to such a course of action, it too would be futile, if the rumors of Jaina's recent exploits were true.

"Very well," she acquiesced. "I will meet you in the hangar."

Jaina crossed her arms, faintly suspicious. "I don't need to bring anything; I'll go with you right now."

Annoyed by the implication, Qeris did not bother to suppress a frown. "Very well," she said again, and resumed walking down the corridor.

"So what happened to you two?" Jaina asked as she fell into step beside her.

"We were captured by the Sith Lord who originally controlled the _Phoenix_," Qeris answered tersely. "She tortured us for almost a month before Jacen killed her. We decided to take control of the station, and a number of soldiers volunteered to join us."

"Her?" Jaina said curiously. A sudden realization dawned on her face. "This Sith Lord was one of us, wasn't she? The counterpart of someone in our family, I mean."

"Your insight serves you well," Qeris agreed neutrally as they turned the corner into the hangar bay.

Surprising her, Jaina put a hand on her arm and stopped. "It wasn't… me, was it?"

Qeris glanced down at Jaina's hand, then up into her eyes. "No."

The young Jedi removed her hand, clearly troubled. "Who was it, then?"

Uncomfortable, Qeris looked away. "Perhaps I should let him tell you."

Jaina put her hand on Qeris' arm again, her voice going soft. "Jacen has always avoided talking about things that bother him. If I already know, it might make things easier. Please?"

Qeris looked back up into Jaina's eyes, the same brandy-brown color as Jacen's, and relented under the obvious concern she saw there. She nodded wordlessly and gestured to her ship, a sleek gray shuttle that had once belonged to the Empress, and they went inside.

Once in the cockpit, Jaina seemed instinctively drawn to the pilot's seat, so Qeris let her have it and settled into the copilot's station instead, draping her cloak over the back of the chair.

As they ran through the pre-flight sequence and waited for clearance to depart, Qeris noticed Jaina tapping out a text-only message with the shuttle's comm, likely to her parents or her commanding officer informing them of where she was going. Actually, now that she thought about it, those were probably one and the same.

And of course, that brought her back around to thinking about the Empress again. She turned slightly away to hide her frown.

Jaina had sensed it anyway. "What's wrong?"

Qeris decided to go ahead and tell her now. "The Sith who tortured us, who Jacen killed… She was the counterpart of… of your mother."

The shock was plain on Jaina's face and through her sense in the Force. "I… I had no idea…"

"_Shuttle _Lanvarok_, you are cleared to depart,"_ _Executor_'s docking control officer transmitted just then.

"Acknowledged," Qeris transmitted back. As she lifted the shuttle off the deck with its repulsorlifts and guided it outside through the force-field, she nodded sadly. "He hasn't spoken with me about it," she said to Jaina as she flew with one hand, activating the navicomputer with the other, "but I know it upset him greatly. I think it… will be good for him to talk to you about it."

Jaina took over the flight controls, letting Qeris devote more attention to plotting the jump. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Qeris nodded without looking up from the displays, hoping she was doing the right thing.

* * *

><p>In one of the less formal receiving rooms in his palace on Coruscant, Emperor Soontir Fel sat on his throne flanked by four Imperial Knights, and regarded the armored man standing on the glossy black floor below his raised platform.<p>

"I would ask how you acquired these prisoners, Hunter Fett," the Emperor said with a slight trace of amusement, "but given their condition, I have a feeling that I don't really want to know."

Boba Fett did not immediately reply. Even divested of all weapons, as was required in the Emperor's presence, he still made an intimidating figure. "They resisted capture," he said simply, his voice made harsh by his helmet's filters. "The word was you wanted some of these fire cultists alive. Patch them up and they'll talk."

"I must admit, I am surprised you succeeded where even my Imperial Knights have so far failed," Emperor Fel went on. Beside him, Kanos frowned, but said nothing. "Truly impressive."

"Two of them killed themselves before I got them in the holding cells," Fett said, ignoring the compliment. "Keep them unconscious until you're ready to talk to them, and make sure you keep them near the ysalamiri at all times."

"Make a note of that," Fel said to one of his aides, who nodded and began tapping at his datapad. He looked back up at the bounty hunter. "Now, how may the Empire reward you for this service?"

Fett named an outrageous sum, and Fel merely stared at him with one brow slightly raised. After a few moments of this, Fett grudgingly reduced his price by one-fifth, to which Fel agreed.

Once the bounty hunter was gone, Kanos turned to him. "Still too much, my lord," he murmured.

Emperor Fel raised his shoulders in a fractional shrug. "He's Boba Fett, Kanos; he can charge those kinds of rates because he's the only one who can get the job done properly."

Kanos frowned again. "My lord, the Imperial Knights are still searching for the cultists. We have many leads-"

"And I am sure you will bring me more," Fel interrupted mildly. "I have every confidence in the Order of Imperial Knights, Kanos, as I have since you and General Katarn founded it. Hunter Fett simply managed to accomplish the task first."

"Yes, my lord," Kanos said neutrally.

"I am adjusting your orders," the Emperor said. "The Imperial Knights are to continue hunting these fire cultists, taking as many alive for interrogation as possible, but if not feasible, deadly force is authorized. This cult and its members have demonstrated themselves to be a clear and present danger to the Empire, and I am tasking you with eliminating them from it."

Though he did not smile, Kanos seemed mollified. "We shall, my lord."

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm sorry, I can't find them again. I've been looking since I lost contact, but it's like they're just not there. I didn't sense their deaths, though, so they could still be alive."<em>

Leia frowned at the holographic image of Revan standing in front of her in one of _Executor_'s comm rooms. "Well, keep looking," she said. She paused. "What did happen out there, do you think? I don't quite understand it, myself."

"_Pyrron attacked them with his power, which was amplified by his Star Forge,_" Revan explained. "_He had already tried to attack me, but I fought him off. When he turned his powers on Jenn and the others, I initiated a battle meld, calling out to other Jedi to use their power to help me shield them. My Star Forge amplified my power, and the effect was much stronger than I was expecting; I apologize for that."_

"Some of us were in the middle of battle," Leia said crossly. "Several of the Jedi could have been killed, Jaina especially. We're just lucky the Interdictor crews managed to take control back from the boarding parties when they did."

"_Again, I apologize_," said Revan. "_This station is accustomed to amplifying Battle Meditation, and it exerted a greater degree of control than I intended. It won't happen again."_

"What do you mean, 'accustomed'?" Leia asked curiously. "Is the Star Forge… alive?"

Revan gave a slight nod. "_In a way. It was originally constructed using the Force, particularly the Dark Side. You might say it… feeds on it. Though I am doing my best to contain it, make no mistake, the Star Forge, particularly this one, is strong with the Dark Side. It's going to take a great deal of work to bring it around to my own way of thinking, so to speak."_

"So, could you project Battle Meditation over the entire galaxy from the Star Forge?"

"_I don't know about that, but over a much greater distance than just by myself, certainly. Someone more practiced in it, like you or…"_ His expression clouded for a moment before he continued._ "A master of Battle Meditation could have great influence, it's true. You may want to come here and practice using your powers before his main fleet arrives._"

"I may," Leia agreed. "Right now, I'm trying to help my mother get her summit with the Empire organized. With the increasing numbers of Yuuzhan Vong making their way into the main galaxy past Vader's forces in Chiss space, and with this Pyrron now in control of his own Star Forge… We're all going to have to work together to win this."

"_What about Jacen?_" Revan asked, concerned. "_I've heard he wants his new fleet to remain independent. He or a representative of his should be at this summit, as well._"

"I hope Jaina will be able to persuade him to attend in person, if only so I can talk to him," Leia said. "He's too young for this kind of responsibility."

"_He's almost the same age you and your brother were at the Battle of Yavin, when the Galactic Civil War really got started,"_ Revan reminded her. "_And your father, when the Clone Wars began. I agree that he'll need help, but from my impressions, Jacen has the capability to be a great leader just like others in your family._"

"I hope so," Leia said quietly. "I'm very worried about him." She paused, looking at the other Jedi Master's hologram in mild surprise. "And since when do you know so much about my family?"

Revan shrugged with a slight smile. "_We spent almost two weeks on this station before we took control of it;_ _there wasn't much else for us to do but talk."_

"What do you think of Vader… my father?" Leia asked, curious what this man thought.

Revan paused for a moment. "_There is much anger in him,"_ he said. "_And deep-seated pain. He was once very deep in the Dark Side, but now… I think there could be hope for him yet."_

"I hope you're right," Leia said.

Revan slightly quirked one eyebrow in light humor. "_I'm always right._"

* * *

><p>The <em>Argent Hawk<em> and its accompanying group of Chiss clawcraft emerged from hyperspace into the cold black intergalactic void. Behind them was the huge shape of the galaxy, deceptively close-looking, and scattered across the infinite sky were other points of light, themselves galaxies. Even with their search field narrowed by the Ex-Gal array's scans, it was still a depressingly large area in which to find one small, crippled ship.

"Fighters, to your search patterns," Vader transmitted. "Contact us immediately if you detect anything."

Ami watched as the sleek Chiss vessels broke formation in pairs, heading off on six different vectors before vanishing into hyperspace again. _Argent Hawk_ itself would mostly be flying along a straight line at sublight speed to ensure they received any messages from the fighters. Their constantly-broadcasting subspace signal was also serving as a reference point which the Chiss pilots could use to ensure their jumps remained on the proper vector; out here between the main galaxy and its dwarf companions, there weren't many reference points navicomputers could use to calculate safe hyperspace jumps.

"Get comfortable," Mara said over her shoulder from the copilot's station. "This is going to take a while."

[…]

It did indeed take a while; after almost three days of searching, one of the clawcraft pairs finally called in to report a sensor contact, and a few minutes later, confirmed that they had found a ship. _Argent Hawk_ raced to their coordinates and, with its more sensitive and powerful sensors, verified that they had indeed found the _Jade Sabre_ at last.

"They took a direct turbolaser blast amidships," Vader observed as they drew closer, passing their searchlights over the _Sabre_'s hull along with the two fighters. He pointed. "There, a definite hull breach. But it seems to have been repaired."

"I'm reading four life-signs," Mara said with a clear note of relief. "One of them is very faint, though."

"I still don't sense them in the Force," Ami said with a frown.

"You may be right," Mara said over her shoulder to Tionne, who sat in one of the rear seats.

Ami suddenly sensed something akin to a faint flicker of motion at the edge of her perception. "What was that?"

"What was what?" her mother said, looking over at her.

"Didn't you feel that?" Ami said, puzzled. "Something… not the five of us, or the Chiss pilots, either."

"I didn't feel anything," Mara said, and Tionne shook her head, also.

Vader said nothing, concentrating on positioning the _Hawk_ for docking with the _Sabre_, but Ami thought she saw something in his expression that indicated he might also have sensed what she did.

"_Sabre_'s hailing us," Mara reported.

Frantic astromech bleeps and whistles assailed them from the comm speakers, urging them to dock with all speed and help them repressurize the ship.

"Of course we're hurrying, Whistler," Mara replied impatiently. "What's their condition?"

The droid replied that all four Jedi were still unconscious but stable. They were nearly out of power to feed to life support even on the minimal settings; another day or so and it would have been too late. Only Jedi could have survived this long on so little air and heat.

"Wait a second, who's 'we'?" Mara asked. "You said all four of them were still unconscious." The comm erupted with tweeting and beeping, and Mara interrupted. "Hold on, hold on. Never mind; you can fill us in once we bring you aboard."

Ami left the cockpit to go stand by the docking hatch, and found Tahiri already there, anxiously shifting her feet and tapping her toes against the deckplates. "I still can't sense them," she said worriedly as Ami approached. "I've-"

"_Hyperspace activity; incoming contact!_" Mara announced over the intercom. "_Warship size, not one of ours. Ami, get them aboard quickly; we may need to leave in a hurry."_

Ami acknowledged and opened the hatch as soon as it signaled equalized air pressure. Tahiri was only a step behind her, and Tionne joined them as they hurried back through the _Sabre_ to the crew cabins.

The minimal emergency lighting in the _Sabre_ made it hard to see, so Ami almost ran right into Whistler, who was waiting in front of Ben and the others' cabin. He bleeped that he wasn't sure whether they would wake immediately, and Ami only nodded distractedly in acknowledgment.

Inside the passenger cabin, the four Jedi lay in bunks, their eyes closed and hands folded over their stomachs as if they were merely asleep. Ami went to Ben, brushing his hair from his forehead and then placing her fingers there.

She reached out to him with the Force, and after several agonizing moments, received a very faint response. Ben's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he groaned groggily.

"Ami?" he said blearily, squinting up at her.

"The one and only," she quipped with a relieved grin. "Come on, get up. We've gotta get out of here."

Nearby, Anakin and Corran were also stirring, but Ami noticed that Jenn was not responding as Tionne attempted to awaken her.

"Is she alive?" Corran asked, sitting up.

"Yes," Tionne replied. "But she is… not well."

"Who are you?" Ami heard her mother's voice say outside the cabin.

"I am BLX-5," an electronic voice replied in an unhurried drawl. "I have taken the liberty of securing all essential equipment, foodstuffs, and personal possessions in case of a rapid evacuation. Shall I bring them aboard your vessel, Master Jedi?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Mara said distractedly as she entered the cabin. Immediately, she crossed to Ben, wrapped an arm around his shoulders from behind, and gently kissed the top of his head. He smiled tiredly, reaching up to pat her elbow.

Mara straightened and clapped her hands together once urgently. "On your feet, people! There's a Burned warship coming in, and we're getting out of here before it gets in tractor range."

"What about the _Sabre_?" Anakin asked as he stood.

Mara paused momentarily before gesturing dismissively. "We're leaving it. We'd never get it flying in time." She pointed to Jenn. "She's not waking up?"

Tionne shook her head. "I do not sense any internal injuries, so it should be safe to move her."

Mara moved past her and lifted the unconscious Jedi Master into a sitting position, then slung Jenn over her shoulder and stood. "The _Hawk_'s shields won't hold long spread over both ships like this. Go, go!"

They hurried back into the _Argent Hawk_, spurred on as weapons fire shook the ship. "_They've launched fighters!_" Vader told them over the comm.

"Pyrron's already got a warship and fighters built?" Corran exclaimed as they moved through the airlock.

"He's had his Star Forge for more than a week," Mara replied tersely, heading for the _Hawk_'s starboard dormitory. "It's possible." She stopped in the dormitory long enough to lay Jenn on one of the bunks. "Do what you can for her, Tionne. Boys, help her," she said to Ben and Anakin. She looked over at Ami and Tahiri. "Girls, turrets."

"We can fight," said Anakin, and Ben nodded in agreement beside him. Both of them looked pale and a little unsteady on their feet, but willing.

"It may come to that," Mara said grimly. "Stay ready."

"What can I do?" Corran asked. Though his eyes were bright and alert, Ami noticed him surreptitiously leaning against the wall beside him for support.

"You can wish for a miracle," Mara said as she left, headed back to the cockpit. "We're going to need one to get out of here."

Ami raced to the access ladder leading to the turrets and sprang up it, feeling Tahiri's weight move the ladder slightly as she headed down. Fortunately, the _Argent Hawk_'s turrets were very similar to those on the _Millennium Falcon_, she noted as she buckled herself into the gunner's chair. Through the domed viewport above her, Ami saw the two Chiss clawcraft blasting away at the incoming squadron of enemy fighters, which were of a configuration she didn't recognize.

She also did not recognize the configuration of the warship looming high 'above' her field of vision; its two long curving sections of hull resembled an enormous predatory mouth with a conning tower on top, painted in swirls of red, orange and yellow with constantly blinking running lights.

"He made a ship like that in only a week?" Ami muttered to herself. "We _are_ in big trouble."

Despite the urgency of their situation, Ami could not help but feel a strong twinge of sadness as she saw the enemy fighters fire on the _Jade Sabre_ until it finally succumbed and exploded into a bright fireball. Her family had had the vessel for almost her entire life; it was like losing a piece of home.

Ami shook her head to clear it, returning her focus to the battle. She gripped the controls of the turret, chasing enemy fighters with fire.

"_The other clawcraft are on their way,_" she heard Vader say through her headset. "_They should be here in minutes."_

"_Yeah, but then what do we do?_" Mara replied. "_We can't just make a blind jump out here, and Pyrron has a whole Star Forge full of ships to throw at us."_

"_Three on the left, Ami,"_ Tahiri said.

"I got 'em," Ami said, swiveling her turret. She threw green turbolaser blasts at the three-ship flight, subtly reaching out with the Force to the minds of the pilots to sense their intentions so she could adjust her firing patterns accordingly.

Their minds felt odd, and she reflexively recoiled. "Are those… clones flying those fighters?"

"_It seems so,_" Vader replied.

"_There were Spaarti cloning cylinders on the derelict warship we found," _Corran said through the intercom. "_But I didn't think they could have grown so quickly."_

"_Not without instability,"_ Vader agreed. "_Though it is possible they could have risked it anyway._"

"_Throwaway soldiers,"_ Mara said disgustedly. "_That is just wrong on so many levels._"

Ami felt another odd sensation through the Force just before Vader said, "_Hyperspace activity; three incoming contacts. Two fighter-sized, one approximately frigate-sized, all high in organic content."_

"_Oh, great!_" Mara snapped. "_The Vong decided to show up. That's just wonderf- Wait."_

"_I sense it, too,"_ Vader concurred. "_Those are not Yuuzhan Vong ships."_

Ami heard the beep of an incoming hail, and then an elderly female voice came over the comm.

"_It has been a long time, Anakin Skywalker. I must admit I did not expect to encounter you out here."_

"_Is that you, Jabitha?" _Vader said, sounding surprised.

"_It is,"_ the woman replied. "_Quickly, bring your ships aboard my vessel. Your enemies will not be able to follow us."_

"_We have more fighters out there," _Mara began.

"_Other Sekotan ships are locating them," _Jabitha said. "_Do not worry."_

Finally _Argent Hawk_'s course shifted enough for Ami to see the incoming ships, and she gasped half in surprise, half in wonder.

The vessels were clearly organic for the most part, not ugly and misshapen like Yuuzhan Vong ships, but with sleek, graceful lines resembling the enormous cetaceans Ami had seen in the oceans of Mon Calamari. The two smaller vessels almost seemed to frolic around the larger one like whaladon calves around their mother. And yet, the engines and weapons of the craft were clearly machines, making the resemblance to Vong ships all the more surprising.

In only moments they had been drawn into the docking bay of the frigate-sized ship, which was lit in a peaceful, calming blue, though Ami could not see the light source from her vantage point. As the two clawcraft settled in on either side of them, the docking bay doors closed and she felt a sense of shifting, and supposed the ship had made an extremely smooth transition to hyperspace.

"_If you wouldn't mind," _Mara said with sarcastic politeness to Vader, "_just what is going on?_"

"_One of the goals of Master Talmak's expedition was to locate Zonama Sekot,_" Vader replied. "_It seems that instead it has found us."_

* * *

><p>-\-_  
><em>

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Just imagine a big John Williams music sting right there. ;) Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time!<p> 


	25. Connection

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Five<br>**(Connection)

As their shuttle approached the battle station _Phoenix_, Jaina marveled at the immense weapon of war her brother had brought back from the dark alternate universe. A similar station had almost been built here, developed by Palpatine's secret team of scientists and engineers during the Clone Wars, but her grandfather had put a stop to the project not long after becoming Emperor. She had once studied the available documents concerning the Death Star out of curiosity, and at the time had been greatly relieved something so destructive had never been let loose on the galaxy in the hands of men like Palpatine and Tarkin.

Now her own brother commanded a Death Star, and Jaina could not help but feel nervous, especially given the blasted wreckage of what had once been a Yuuzhan Vong fleet floating around the moon-sized station. The Vong had gathered almost a thousand ships here, and Jacen had spent the better part of a week moving the _Phoenix_ around the system finishing them off.

"He feels so different," Jaina said aloud as she sensed her brother in the Force. "He's so… cold."

"He does not use the Dark Side," Qeris said from the copilot's seat, her tone slightly defensive.

"That's not what I mean," Jaina replied. "Our whole lives, he's been so… joyful, all the time, as if he was happy just to be alive and to be around living things. The only time I've ever felt him this angry was when Tamith Kai tried to invade Alderaan and started forest fires from orbit with her fleet. He worked himself to exhaustion helping to put them out. We all did."

"What he is doing now is similar, I think," said Qeris. "The Empress' stated goal was to turn him to the Dark Side and then use him to conquer this galaxy. That upset him more than he is willing to admit, though his feelings are quite clear to me. He has thrown himself into his work to avoid thinking about it."

Something in her voice gave Jaina pause, and she looked over at the Imperial Knight with realization. Not knowing what to think, she decided against saying anything for now.

The shuttle was directed by flight control up to the private hangar near the executive quarters, where they were met by a platoon of white-armored stormtroopers led by a middle-aged dark-haired officer in a black uniform and cap.

"Master Qeris," the officer greeted her as they descended the shuttle's ramp. As Jaina emerged from the shuttle, his gaze moved immediately to her with slightly suspicious curiosity. "Who is your guest?"

"Commander Solo's sister Jaina," Qeris replied. "A Jedi Knight from the Republic."

The officer nodded crisply. "I shall inform the Commander of your arrival." He gestured briefly to the stormtroopers, who moved into escort formation around Jaina and Qeris. The officer went off to a comm panel near the entrance to the hangar.

"Commander?" Jaina murmured.

"He… prefers not to be called by the title the Empress gave him," Qeris replied, "nor would he accept being called 'Emperor', so the troops have given him a slightly less official title."

"How many troops are we talking about?" Jaina asked.

"Just under a million personnel on the _Phoenix_ itself," Qeris answered, "plus an additional four hundred thousand crewmen and troopers stationed on the ships that accompanied us."

Jaina let out a low whistle. "And you're sure all of them are loyal to you?"

"Those who accompanied us came by choice," Qeris said as they entered a large turbolift. "A few… misguided loyalists to the Empress came along intending sabotage, but they are being dealt with. The Empress was cruel, and very unpopular with her troops. They were forced to commit many atrocities against the people of their home galaxy, and they were inspired by Jacen's promise to use this station and its personnel to protect civilians, not oppress them."

One of the stormtroopers stirred. "Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"

Qeris glanced back at the man. "Granted."

"Anyone would have been better than Lady Vader, ma'am," he said to Jaina. "She made us do things… we feel we must atone for. Your brother has so far shown himself to be an honorable man, ma'am, which is why we're willing to work with him on his mission to stop the Vong."

"He goes out to fight alongside us in the worst of it," another trooper put in. "He won't send us to do anything he isn't willing to do himself, and that's something the army hasn't seen from its commanders in a long time."

Jaina nodded without replying, taking this in.

Finally the turbolift doors opened out into a massive room that had clearly been intended to impress and intimidate any who entered it. She could see signs that decorations had once adorned the walls, but had been ripped down, leaving the enormous throne room coldly austere and professional.

Perhaps the clearest example of this was the tall staircase leading up to a balcony which had plainly once held a large throne on a pedestal. The throne had been replaced with a standard command chair, and in it sat a figure who was at once familiar and completely alien to her.

He was definitely her twin, but his entire bearing was totally different from the way she was used to seeing him. His hair, perpetually tousled and shaggy for as long as she could remember, was now trimmed back in a severe military cut, accompanied by a trim beard that descended from his temples along the line of his jaw. He wore a black Imperial uniform and polished boots, his lightsaber clipped to a belt buckled with a gleaming emblem of a bird with wings curving up above its head, the feathers resembling tongues of flame.

Most unsettling of all, he did not look at all pleased to see her.

"Why are you here?" he said without rising from his command chair, his voice deeper than she remembered.

"Well, let's see," Jaina said sarcastically, annoyed. "Maybe it's because I'm worried about you."

"As you can see, I am unharmed," Jacen replied curtly. Though the cadence of his speech was different now, it seemed somehow familiar. "I am busy with strategy, and do not have time to speak with you at the moment. You may assure the Republic and the Jedi Council that I mean them no harm. Phoenix Fleet has no ambitions beyond the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong."

"No, no, no," Jaina said hotly. "I'm your sister, damn it, not some flunky sent to check up on you! What's the matter with you?"

Jacen merely met her gaze with a cold stare and did not reply.

"Look, Qeris told me what happened to you, okay?" Jaina said, trying to calm herself. "I just… want to help you, all right?"

"I do not require your assistance," he said. "You may return to the Republic fleet."

Finally it clicked. "You know who you look like?" Jaina said incredulously. "You even _sound_ like him now."

"There are worse examples to follow," he replied mildly.

"Not for our family, there aren't!" she exclaimed. "Are you even still a Jedi, or are you going to go off and play Sith Lord now?"

Even as Jaina said it, she wished she hadn't. Jacen's eyes flashed with fury, and his expression tightened into a glare.

"Get out," he said angrily.

"Jacen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Get OUT!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Troopers, escort her from the room."

"Now, just a minute here," Jaina said, snatching her arm from a trooper's grip.

Jacen raised a gloved hand and pointed a finger at her. "Don't make me have you ejected from the station."

"Do you mean that literally, _Commander_?" she snapped, glaring back at him.

His expression lost some of its hardness at this, and he lowered his hand. "Escort her to one of the executive suites," he said to the troopers standing next to her. "See that she remains there until I am ready to speak with her."

Jaina was too confused and angry to make any sort of reply to this. Instead, she simply turned and marched herself back to the turbolift. She couldn't even bring herself to look back at him as the doors closed.

* * *

><p>Qeris frowned up at Jacen from the base of the stairs leading up to the balcony.<p>

His anger was plain on his face and through what she sensed in the Force. "She comes here without invitation and immediately accuses me of being a Sith!" he snapped down at her. "How was I supposed to react?"

"By understanding that your actions since our return have caused her and the rest of your family a measure of concern," Qeris replied calmly, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice. "They thought you were dead, and you haven't bothered to so much as call them on the comm since you've come back. How was _she_ supposed to react?"

"I've been busy," Jacen said stiffly. "I have a war to win."

"So do I," Qeris rejoined. "And yet, one of the first things I did after we brought this station back to this galaxy was send a message to my family."

He said nothing to this, his expression unreadable, but after a moment he softened. "I'm sorry."

Qeris met his gaze, slightly reproving. "I am not the one to whom you should apologize."

He nodded, expression softening still further. "You're right." One corner of his mouth quirked in light amusement. "Once again I find myself glad you're with me."

She returned the smile. "Funny how that's working out."

* * *

><p>Awareness came back gradually. Despite her gradual return to consciousness, she felt a terrible weariness, an unsettlingly familiar emptiness lurking beneath it.<p>

And she also felt like a bantha had been sitting on her head. Wonderful.

Jenn blinked her eyes, taking stock of her surroundings. She was laying on a bed somewhere in a starship - she could feel the telltale slight vibrations that indicated hyperspace travel - but oddly enough the room smelled earthy and fresh, like a forest after a heavy rainstorm.

The Force was gone, the way it had been after Malachor. Dimly she remembered straining against an overwhelming attack, faint impressions of someone trying to help her, and then… nothing. She must have been out for days after that, judging by her various aches and the vile taste in her mouth.

"Hey, you're awake finally," said a familiar voice. "Took you long enough."

Jenn looked over to see Mara Jade Skywalker sitting in a wicker chair nearby, holding a datapad. The wall behind her was wood-paneled, and appeared to have an actual patch of ivy growing on it, carefully pruned away from diagnostic screens and other medical machinery.

"Wouldn't be the first time I've woken up in a strange med-center in nothing but my underwear," Jenn said. She paused, frowning. "That didn't come out right."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "No, it didn't. It's good to see you still have your sense of humor, though."

Jenn laughed lightly, leaning back against her pillows. "The things I've been through… It's either make jokes or go crazy." She reached for a cup of water sitting on the small table beside her and took a drink. "So where am I, anyway? This definitely isn't the _Sabre._"

"This is a Sekotan starship," Mara replied. "We found you and then the Ferroans crewing it found us. They're taking us back to Zonama Sekot, their homeworld." She took on an ironic tone. "It is, if you can believe it, a sentient, hyperspace-capable planet. It's been hiding from the Vong at the edge of the galaxy for almost fifty years."

Jenn processed this for a moment. "I'm trying to decide if I've heard stranger things."

"Become a Jedi: see the galaxy at its weirdest," Mara observed.

Jenn chuckled. "You've got that right." She took another drink of water, then looked back up at the other Jedi Master. "So, I'm assuming you know about Pyrron taking control of the second Star Forge."

Mara nodded, then quickly summarized what had happened since then.

"So this time I did it to all four of us?" Jenn said. "I'm sorry."

"You saved their lives," Mara replied evenly. "That's nothing to be sorry for." She fixed Jenn with a cool stare. "Which is why you only have to pay for half of my new ship."

"The _Sabre_ was destroyed?" Jenn asked, fighting back a slight stab of guilt despite herself.

"Not a scratch, you promised. And then you let psychotic cultists blast it to pieces."

Jenn adopted an overly apologetic expression, one that was only partially feigned. "Sorry, I'm afraid all my credits are a few millennia out of date."

"Then you can mow the grounds at the Jedi Temple," Mara said, not missing a beat. "I'm sure you'll be able to work it off eventually."

Jenn thought she saw a hint of a smile on the other's face, and felt herself smile back over the rim of her cup. "Deal." She let the humor fade from her expression. "So what's the plan now?"

"Zonama Sekot has some sort of connection with the Yuuzhan Vong, so Vader wants to explore that further and see if it can help with the war," Mara answered. "These Ferroans also claim that Sekot can help you four recover your connection to the Force, so we'll see how that goes."

"If it doesn't take ten years, I'm all for it," Jenn said wryly, the words more colored by bitterness than she'd intended. She sat back, drumming her fingers on the sheet. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad we have an intact Star Forge now, and Revan in command of it. We're going to need everything we've got to stand against both Pyrron and the Vong."

Mara nodded. "According to the Ferroans, the Burned and the Vong are fighting all through the dwarf satellite galaxies, so that'll keep them both occupied for a while."

The door opened and Darth Vader strode into the room, his mismatched eyes flicking briefly to Jenn before looking over at Mara. "We passed within range of a HoloNet relay during our last recalculation," he began. "It seems Jacen survived, and furthermore, he brought the Empress' Death Star back with him, along with a substantial fleet."

"What?!" Mara exclaimed, standing. "When did this happen?"

"According to Thrawn's report, the Death Star, which Jacen has renamed the _Phoenix_, arrived during a battle in the Mytus system one week ago," Vader answered. "Since then he has had only brief communication with the fleet, mostly using Qeris as his envoy. He seems to be using the station to destroy the rest of the Vong ships in the system at present."

"Wait a second," Jenn said. "How long have I been out? If we're already back within range of a HoloNet relay…"

"The hyperdrives on Sekotan ships are faster than any others in the galaxy," said Vader. "The engineers who build them closely guard their secrets, but I will be asking for their assistance in modifying our vessels. Speed and firepower will be the keys to winning this war quickly."

"No war is won quickly," Jenn said quietly. "Especially when one side is composed of fanatics. No, things are just getting started."

* * *

><p>Jaina sensed her brother approaching her assigned quarters long before the door buzzed. Qeris was right; though he was alarmingly cold and grim now, she did not sense the Dark Side in him. That at least was some small relief.<p>

"Come in," she said, and the door opened.

Even Jacen's posture was different; he'd always moved with a sort of easy, relaxed ranginess much like their father, but now he was stiff and martial.

"I wanted to apologize for losing my temper," he said as the door closed behind him. He shifted into a 'parade rest' stance just in front of it, hands behind his back. Once again, the resemblance to their grandfather was uncanny.

"So do I," Jaina said. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, either." She paused, taking a breath. "But you have to understand… I'm worried about you. You're so different now."

"You can't go through what I did and come out unchanged," Jacen said with deceptive calm; she could sense him trying to suppress strong feelings of pain, both physical and emotional. "I apologize if I was short with you, but… I have much more responsibility now."

"Well, that's why I came," said Jaina, taking a step closer. "You don't have to keep this all to yourself, Jacen. You can talk to me; you've always been able to come to me with anything."

Jacen took a deep breath. "You said Qeris told you what happened to us?"

"The Empress was… Mom's counterpart," Jaina confirmed. "I… I can't even imagine…"

"It wasn't just her," he said, barely above a whisper. "Dad's counterpart was one of her officers. Both of them were… totally unlike our parents. I could never have imagined they could be those people, and yet… in that universe, they were. She kept…" He swallowed, and his eyes glistened wetly. "She kept calling me her son. And I… I killed her. I put my lightsaber through her heart."

Jaina reached up and put her hand on his shoulder. "Well, that _wasn't_ Mom," she said softly. "Your _real_ mother just wants to talk to you. You might have been cut off from us for a while, but… we're here for you now."

He nodded once, though his shoulder was still tense beneath her hand. "I just… I can't just bounce back from this right away."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Nobody would expect you to."

Jacen nodded again, his expression uncomfortable and distant. He gently pulled away and walked over to the viewport displaying the black expanse outside. "I have much work to do. I'm not sure when I'll have the opportunity to go and talk to them."

"Grandmother is working to organize a conference, a summit to decide how the Republic and the Empire can work together to fight the Vong and Pyrron's cult," Jaina said. She let out a light wry chuckle. "Strange as it is to me to say this, you control a significant military power now, so you should be there, too."

Jacen turned to look at her with a wry half-smile of his own. "Believe me, this is not where I thought I'd be either, a month ago." At his belt, his comlink buzzed, and he answered it. "Yes?"

"_Commander, the _Executor_ reports that several Yuuzhan Vong vessels which were concealed in one of the asteroid belts have broken the Interdictor blockade and are on their way out of the system._"

"Track their vector," Jacen ordered. "Alert all commands: we're following them."

"_Yes, Commander._"

"There are a number of colonies in this sector," Jacen said, heading for the door. "As I understand it, the Vong intended to use this system as a staging area from which to conquer the Corporate Sector."

"Thrawn's plan was to keep them blockaded in the system with the Interdictors," Jaina said as they walked briskly down the corridor, headed for the turbolift. "We were picking them off a few at a time until more of the fleet could get here." She let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course, then the Burned showed up. Even though you destroyed most of those two fleets, we've been chasing elements of them both all around the system. Even one solar system is still a big place to hide a star fleet or two."

As the lift doors closed, Jacen turned to her. "That's what I've been doing for the last week; Phoenix Fleet has been engaged in hunting down the remnants of both fleets, as has Thrawn and Ackbar's battle group. I knew some of them were going to break the blockade sooner or later. How soon can we expect Republic reinforcements?"

Jaina shook her head. "Not for a while. A Vong battle group was spotted out near Mygeeto several days ago, so the fleet that was coming here is headed there instead. There are more and more skirmishes in the border systems near the Unknown Regions all the time."

"We knew the Chiss and Vader's Vanguard Fleet couldn't hold them back forever," Jacen said, frowning. "And with this Pyrron in control of a Star Forge out in one of the satellite galaxies… I agree: a strong alliance is needed."

"So you'll come to the summit?" Jaina asked.

His slight smile was encouraging. "I will." He gestured down the corridor as the lift doors opened, and they set off side by side.

* * *

><p>From orbit, Zonama Sekot looked like a hundred other worlds Jenn had seen; blue oceans, green and brown continents, the whole sphere striped with lacy white bands of clouds. However, as the living Sekotan ship descended through the atmosphere, it became apparent this was no ordinary planet. Vast green clearings in the jungles, unexceptional to untrained eyes, were quite clearly the remnants of once-massive craters and blast zones, similar to how Dxun had looked when Jenn returned over a decade after the horrifically bloody battle she had fought there during the Mandalorian Wars.<p>

This world had seen similar battle, and more than once, judging from the relative freshness of some of the slowly healing scars in the landscape.

All at once the numb ache of not being able to feel the Force came over her again. It was strange, frustratingly so, to see all that life yet be unable to sense any of it.

But, even as she thought about this, she felt a flicker of the old familiar power spark within her again, blessedly welcome like a radiant fire in an endless icy plain. It was nowhere near the connection she was used to, but at least it was something.

_Be at ease,_ a voice said within her mind, genderless and alien, but its tone that of a mother. _Your enemies cannot harm you here. I will help you regain that which you have lost._

_Who are you?_ she asked.

_I am Sekot,_ the voice answered. _And you I know already, Jennyrija Talmak. Your apprentices spoke very highly of you, and their memories of you were strong._

_You met some of my friends?_ she sent back, astonished.

_Indeed I did,_ Sekot replied. _It was not so long ago to one such as I. They cared for you very much, as I feel you care for them. They left to fight a powerful evil, and in their absence I promised to guard the secret of the second great factory of the ancients, to keep the evil one from finding it. They fought the great evil, and though it overcame them in their battle, they wounded it enough to delay its plans. The Order you preserved through them gained time enough to grow strong, to fight the evil when it finally emerged from its lair, and at the hands of a mighty hero was it destroyed for all time._

Jenn leaned back in her seat, thinking about this. This at least was some small comfort, knowing that the apprentices she trained had in her absence gone to fight the lurking evil hiding on the fringes of space, the great threat she had gone to fight. Even though she and Revan had failed, others given the opportunity to learn the ways of the Force because of them had succeeded.

_Perhaps you did not fail,_ Sekot broke into her musings. _Perhaps your destiny simply lay along a different path. Your unique knowledge and power were needed to fight the great evil that arose in this time._

This aligned remarkably with the conclusions Jenn had drawn while meditating on Mira's holocron on the journey out, and she wondered at this as she withdrew it from the pouch on her belt where she kept it.

As had often been remarked by countless Jedi and others in the long history of the galaxy, the Force worked in mysterious ways. Though at the time it seemed like a blunder, a failure in their mission when she and Revan had been snared by the trap in the temple on Arctriel's moon, it had led to a curious string of events:

Mira, Visas, and Atton had eventually gone after her in an attempt to learn the fate of their teacher. Their path had led them to Yotuunhym, and though Mira had died there, her sacrifice saved the lives of many who would otherwise have been slaughtered by the temple's monstrous guardians. While there, they had learned of the second Star Forge, and Visas and Atton had left to seek it. On the way, they had encountered Zonama Sekot, entrusting it with guarding the path while they went to confront the shadowy predator lurking in the Unknown Regions.

The Chiss had quarantined Yotuunhym after the incident there; Jenn and Revan were the only people alive now who would even have known there were secrets to find on that forgotten planet. She and the others had found the location of the second Star Forge, a station the very existence of which they would not have been aware without consulting the computer there.

But, she mused darkly, that had led to a genuine failure on her part: Pyrron would never have found the second Star Forge if she had not inadvertently led him to it. All the lives he would destroy with the fleet he constructed… all that blood would be on her hands, staining them even further.

_You are wrong,_ Sekot told her gently. _Come outside and put your feet on my soil. Reach out to me, commune with me, and I will show you the truth._

Only dimly aware of what she was doing, still deep in thought, Jenn complied. She left the living ship and walked out into the forest, marveling at all the life she could feel, the currents of the Force flowing more strongly here than in any other place she had ever been. She paused to remove her boots and socks, then continued on, her connection to the Force healing more with every step she took into the teeming mass of life. The air was clean and fresh, the wind refreshingly cool. Long grass tickled her bare feet, seeming to bring a wave of sensation through the Force with each gentle contact.

_All life is connected. Life creates the connection, makes it grow. Every action brings reactions from all connected things. It is true, you unintentionally granted the Burned Lord terrible power, but at the same time, you brought upon him his greatest weakness._

Jenn did not understand. _How?_

_For years he and his followers had hidden themselves, with secrecy as their greatest shield as they prepared themselves for their mad conquest. Though the governments hunt them, few have been caught, for they have no home; connected through their perversion of the great web of life, they have no need to gather in large numbers. They were constantly mobile, their leader in particular, making him all but impossible to find._

Suddenly she understood. _The Star Forge cannot be moved. In order to use its power, Pyrron _has_ to stay with it. We know exactly where to find him._

She sensed Sekot's approval. _Thus can he be overcome. If you gather your allies and attack, we can stop his insane purge before it begins. You, Jenn, have survived the full brunt of his power. Only you, with all the other tragedies and endless pain which you have survived, could have discovered the key to shielding oneself against his power, his perversion of the connection. You must again become a teacher, pass on this secret to others so that those with strong connections may withstand his assaults and put an end to this Burned Lord. He is unnatural, he is an aberration, and he must be destroyed to truly restore life's harmony._

_But how can I shield myself without cutting myself off from the Force again?_ Jenn asked. _Both times I did this, I did it without conscious thought._

_I will help you,_ Sekot replied. _And you, in turn, will help the others. Only together can we truly understand. Only together can we become more than we are to accomplish what must be done._

_Thank you,_ Jenn said to the living world, marveling at the sheer power and complexity of the mind she touched.

_In turn, I thank you, Jenn. Your struggle against the Burned Lord woke me from my slumber, and now I have realized what I must do. Together, we can discover the secret of bringing this conflict to an end._

* * *

><p>Seated in his throne in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, Emperor Soontir Fel regarded the hologram of his counterpart in the Republic, Chancellor Padmé Amidala.<p>

"_As you can see, Emperor Fel, an alliance between our governments is more necessary than ever. The Yuuzhan Vong will be desperate now that they have lost their factory, and in turn the Burned cult will grow bolder in their strikes against us. We have only weeks, a month at best, to prepare a strong line of defense."_ She drew herself up, hands spread slightly in invitation. "_This threat faces us all, and only together can we stand against it._"

"I agree," the Emperor replied. "Lord Vader gave me clear instructions when he left, and I have spent the entirety of my reign following them. The Empire is ready for war, Chancellor, and though the battle has not yet come to us, it soon will if the enemy is not defeated in your space."

Though she was too experienced a politician to show her emotions openly, Fel could nonetheless tell that Amidala was pleased by this. "_Do you have any suggestions for where the conference should be held?"_

Fel allowed himself a small smile. "Where better than the place where I and one of your predecessors as Chancellor signed the original peace treaty between us? I shall come in person as I did then."

Amidala nodded in agreement. "_I will alert the border patrols to let you through. We will await your arrival at Alderaan."_

* * *

><p>Ord Rheznir was an unremarkable colony in the Outer Rim roughly halfway between Dantooine and Sernpidal. The only habitable planet in the system, Ord Rheznir itself was a temperate world with no native sentient species, its only inhabitants farmers, miners, and scientists in a few secluded outposts. It had no real military or planetary defenses because the system was so insignificant and resource-thin that it wasn't worth conquering. Even the colony towns had only a few bored constables.<p>

In other words, Ord Rheznir's ten million inhabitants were a perfect target for the Yuuzhan Vong.

The day his world was destroyed, Markin Andross was out playing with his brother Garrett and their friend Kari in the field behind their family's farmhouse. They were, as preadolescent members of almost any species are wont to do, playing war. Currently, they held foam-padded 'lightsabers' they'd badgered their father into making, and were pounding each other silly with them.

Garrett, playing the villain as always, scrambled atop a boulder and laughed maniacally, pointing his 'lightsaber' down at Kari, who sat on her hands next to the large chunk of rock. "Don't come any closer, Skywalker!" he sneered at Markin. "Or else I'll dispatch my prisoner!"

"You'll never win, Darth Nova," Markin said dramatically, taking up his 'lightsaber' in both hands. "The Sith will always be defeated!"

"I don't see why _I_ have to be the prisoner," Kari complained. "I want to be Mara Jade. _She_'s the one who actually killed Darth Nova."

"If you want to play with us, you've gotta be the prisoner," Garrett said to her. "Now be quiet."

"Death to Sith Lords!" Markin shouted playfully, leaping at his brother with a wild swing of his foam-padded blade.

"Hey, no fair!" Garrett objected, clumsily blocking Markin's swing. "She distracted me!"

"It was on purpose!" Kari exclaimed, jumping to her feet as the brothers traded blows. "I was only pretending to still be tied up. Force push!"

"No, Kari, you're the prisoner," Garrett said, glaring at her.

"Oh, come on, let her be Mara Jade if she wants," Markin cajoled.

Garrett shrugged, then threw back his head and let out another maniacal laugh. "It doesn't matter!" he said. "I can defeat you both together!"

Kari picked up another of the foam-padded plastic rods laying nearby and charged at Garrett. The three of them traded blows for a few moments before Kari managed to poke Garrett in the chest with the tip of her 'lightsaber', laughing triumphantly. "Take that, Sith!"

Garrett clutched his chest and staggered about making ridiculous gurgling noises until he dropped to his knees with a comical imitation of a death rattle, falling face-first onto the grass.

Markin and Kari were laughing so hard at this they almost didn't notice the first explosion.

"What was that?" Garrett said curiously as he sat up.

"It sounded like it came from town," Kari said, looking around.

A huge shadow blotted out the sun, passing overhead with a thunderous rumble. Markin stared up at it in shock. "What's going on?"

Tarrol Andross came charging out of the farmhouse, sprinting over to them. "Get to the storm shelter!" he shouted to the children. "Come on, come on!"

Terrified, Markin did not move at first, watching as a number of smaller shapes split off from the colossus hovering overhead, shrieking through the air spitting fire.

A hand grabbed his shoulder, and Markin jumped before he recognized his mother Yrka, her face filled with worry. "Come on, son!"

Gripping his mother's hand, Markin ran to the shelter where his father was already waiting, a blaster in one hand. Tarrol waved them inside, then slammed the door closed and locked it.

"Count off!" he said, looking around the tiny room stocked with food and water.

"Where's Garrett?" Yrka said. "Where's Garrett?"

Markin looked around the shelter again, but did not see his brother, only Kari and his parents.

Tarrol cursed under his breath, unlocking the shelter door. "Stay here," he said. "I'll go find him."

Even as he opened the door, an explosion close by knocked him back, hurling dirt and leaves into the shelter. Tarrol scrambled to his feet, coughing, and pulled himself outside. Yrka moved to the open door to watch, but suddenly she screamed and Markin heard blaster fire outside.

Yrka scrambled back from the door and moved to the large metal storage locker that sat against one wall of the shelter. She threw it open and began hurriedly pulling things out, throwing them on the floor. "Help me," she said to Markin and Kari.

"What's happening?" Kari said, fighting back tears. "Is it the Vong?"

"Just help me!" Yrka snapped, scooping armfuls of supplies out of the locker.

Wordlessly, they obeyed, working as quickly as they could. Soon the locker was almost empty, and when there was enough space, Yrka pushed them both inside.

"No matter what happens," she said to Markin, "no matter what you hear, do not come out. You understand me? Do not come out."

"Mom," Markin sobbed, reaching for her.

Yrka wordlessly squeezed his hand once, then gently pushed him back and closed the lid of the locker.

Markin could hear her piling the supplies on top of the locker amidst the continual explosions of the bombardment outside, the shrieking howl of the invading ships flying through the air, and distant blaster-fire.

The door to the shelter slammed again, accompanied by guttural shouting and heavy footsteps, and Kari gasped. Markin put his hand over her mouth, placing the other over his own to keep from screaming himself. He heard his mother shouting indistinctly, then he heard screaming and crashing. Something slammed into the locker hard enough to shake it, the supplies on top rattling against the metal lid, and Markin squeezed his eyes shut, trying as hard as he could to be quiet. He could feel Kari shaking next to him with silent sobs.

Outside, he could hear his mother screaming and more crashing, then the door slammed again and everything went horribly quiet. Markin huddled with his friend in the dark, too afraid to come out.

The lid squealed open and light poured in, revealing the hideously grinning face of a Yuuzhan Vong.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I meant to post this on Saturday, but my Internet was conked out all weekend. Sorry about that. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	26. Coming Home

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Six<strong>  
>(Coming Home)<p>

In the almost twenty-two years since the Treaty of Alderaan, few official vessels had crossed the border between the Empire and the Republic, and only a handful of those had been warships.

Today marked the first time the Imperial flagship _Eclipse_, personal vessel of Emperor Soontir Fel, had orbited Alderaan since the treaty had been signed two decades before. The titanic black warship, armed with one of the most powerful weapons the galaxy had ever seen, made a point of cutting all power to that weapon as it approached the Republic capital. Similarly, though the Emperor's shuttle was escorted down through Alderaan's atmosphere by five full squadrons of TIE fighters, their weapons were also deactivated.

Luke watched the approach of the shuttle and its fighter escort from the landing pad near the top of the Royal Palace, standing next to his mother, sister, and brother-in-law among other Republic dignitaries. Han looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Luke didn't think it was just because he was in full dress uniform including all his medals and his hair actually combed for once.

No, both of them were remembering the last time they'd seen so many Imperial ships in Alderaan's skies. Though they'd been at peace with the Empire for far longer than they'd ever fought it, old reflexes were difficult to suppress.

Or perhaps it was because of his recent experiences with one particular group of Imperial troops. It was still strange to think Jacen commanded those same soldiers now, an armada based out of a terrifyingly powerful battle station.

A week ago, Jaina had gone to talk to him, and shortly afterward Jacen had sent a brief, oddly terse message to his parents, but he'd said nothing to Luke, not even responding the few times Luke had tried to call him on the comm.

Did Jacen blame Luke for leaving him and Qeris behind? Luke had asked himself that question many times in the two weeks since Jacen had returned. In her messages, Jaina claimed this was not the case, but given how different Jacen was now, it was hard to tell what he was really thinking.

Luke turned to look over his shoulder as he sensed a familiar presence, and saw Revan approaching. As the Jedi Master stopped next to him, Luke thought Revan looked very tired, though he was trying to hide it. Controlling the Star Forge must have been even more draining than he'd thought.

TIE fighters roared overhead as the Emperor's shuttle folded up its wings and slowly touched down. As the ramp lowered and three pairs of red-robed Royal Guards walked out, Luke paused, sensing the approach of more familiar presences, and smiled. He felt Mara, Ami and Ben reach out to him with the Force in greeting, and he warmly returned it.

"Anakin and the others are back," he heard Leia murmur to Han beside him. "They're almost to the Jedi Temple now."

"That's one less thing to worry about," Han murmured back. "Vader with them?"

"I don't sense him," Leia replied.

Luke didn't either, and wondered why, but did not have time to ask, for just then Emperor Fel emerged from his shuttle, resplendent in his black and dark red uniform with gold epaulets.

"Welcome to Alderaan, Emperor Fel," Padmé said, walking forward with a smile.

Fel politely returned her smile. "It is good to be here, Chancellor. Your capital is quite beautiful. It's a pity I haven't had opportunity to visit more often."

"Indeed," Padmé said. She gestured back to the broad white double doors leading back into the Palace. "Rooms have been prepared for you and your staff if you would like to refresh yourselves after your journey. As agreed, the conference begins tomorrow morning at 0900, but I would be honored if you would join me for dinner this evening."

Fel nodded crisply. "I am pleased to accept, Chancellor."

Luke only half paid attention to the rest of the assorted pleasantries, and as soon as the group dispersed, he headed down to the garage where his speeder was parked. Han and Leia were only a step behind, Han already loosening the collar of his uniform.

As they walked down the rows of parked speeders, Luke felt an impulse to stop. After a moment, he realized that he was standing on the exact spot where he'd been during their escape from this very palace twenty-five years ago when Darth Vader had killed Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Suddenly he was nineteen again, watching his father's red lightsaber swing in its deadly arc toward his mentor.

_He is no longer that man,_ Obi-Wan's voice seemed to say in his mind. _You must help him realize this._

Slowly, Luke walked over to the place where Ben had died. Though there was nothing to mark the spot, a completely ordinary section of the palace parking garage, he knew. Right _here_ was where his first teacher, the man for whom he and Mara had named their son, had become one with the Force.

_Though he has committed great evil, he can still do much good, _Obi-Wan's voice went on._ You must once again help him to find the right path._

As his sister moved to stand next to him, he knew she had heard it, too. They shared a silent look.

"Hey, what's going on?" Han said as he stopped at Leia's other side.

"Let's go," Leia said softly.

As Han drove their speeder through the streets of Aldera City, headed out to the secluded valley which held the Jedi Temple, Luke thought about his father. Vader had been so full of rage here at Alderaan, and even more so during the three years he and his army had relentlessly hunted them before the disastrous Battle of Hoth. He had acted with cold-blooded calculation when he had captured Han, Leia, and the others at Bespin and used them as bait for Luke.

But something had happened in his duel with both his children there in the bowels of Cloud City. When first Leia and then Luke had vehemently rejected Vader's offer to join him, it seemed to have shocked him into a sort of calm. The next year after that had seen only scattered engagements between the Empire and the Alliance, with Vader himself withdrawing into a seclusion culminating in his return to his wife's homeworld to revive her.

After defeating Darth Nova at Korriban, why had Vader stayed away without contact for so long? Luke had thought about it often since then. Why would Vader spend more than twenty years trying to reunite his family, then deliberately exile himself from them for an almost equal amount of time? He quite obviously wanted to be with them, judging by his actions in the months since his return, but at the same time, he was oddly reserved, even almost hostile at times…

"It's almost as if he thinks he doesn't deserve to be with us," Leia said aloud, turning in her seat to look back at him.

"Who doesn't deserve to be with us?" Han said, glancing at her as he turned the speeder onto the access road for the temple.

"Can you blame him?" said Luke. "We haven't exactly been welcoming since he's come back."

"He hasn't exactly done much to make me feel like welcoming him," Leia rebutted.

"Who are you talking about?" Han asked. Then he paused, frowning. "Never mind. Who else would you mean?"

"We'll have to take the first steps here," Luke said, leaning forward to place his hands on the back of their seats. "Our father _will_ give up the Dark Side if we help him; I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, well, I'll let you handle that part," Han said with a trace of bitterness. "You'll excuse me for not feeling all warm and fuzzy about a guy who once tortured me and then froze me in carbonite just because he felt like it." He looked over at Leia for a moment, lifting a hand from the controls in a half-defensive gesture. "Hey, that's the way I feel. I'm sorry I can't just meditate it away like you."

Leia sighed. "It's taken me a long time to get over it, too, Han. I've had a hard time letting go of those feelings, but those feelings are what's keeping him away."

"We have to take the first step," Luke said again. "If we don't, he'll… he might stay like this forever. If we want him to give up the Dark Side and become part of our family, _we_ have to help him get there."

"Maybe I don't _want_ Darth Vader in my family," Han said darkly. "Maybe I think he needs to go back to the Unknown Regions, _away_ from me and my kids."

"Han," Luke said reprovingly.

"No!" Han snapped, clenching the controls. "He's a bad influence! Did you see that message from Jacen? He looked just like him. Hell, he even _sounded_ like Vader!" He let out a short, sharp breath. "To be honest with you, that… that really scared me. That's one of the things I've always been afraid of, ever since they were little; that they would turn out like _him_."

"Han, you've… never told me this before," Leia said, clearly surprised.

Han sighed again. "That's 'cause it's never seemed like it would happen before. They've always been like us, the way I'd hoped, all three of 'em. Until now."

"Jacen's coming to the conference," Leia said reassuringly. Her lips quirked wryly. "If Jaina has to sit on him and make him do it, the way she did when they were little, she will. She's enough like you that you can count on that."

Luke could sense Han trying not to smile at that.

"All right, I'll make you a deal," Han said as the Jedi Temple came into view around a bend in the road. "If Vader- your father can prove he's not a homicidal psychopath anymore, I'll keep my holster snapped. That's as much as you're gonna get."

"It's more than I expected," Leia said dryly.

* * *

><p>Jenn stood near the edge of the Temple landing pad in front of the <em>Argent Hawk<em>, watching the speeder make its way up the valley. The Temple grounds were so peaceful and quiet, nestled here between two majestic white-capped mountain ranges, that the Force seemed to sing, flowing through this lush valley like a clear pure stream through a verdant meadow.

Or perhaps that was just her. After communing with the living world Sekot, Jenn felt like she was feeling the Force anew, like she was a young apprentice again, marveling at the power within her which connected her with all other living things.

The screaming whine of swoop engines drew her attention, and as Jenn focused on the source of the echoes bouncing down the valley, she saw that it was indeed a swoop bike with a very familiar pilot.

The hovering bike rocketed past the speeder, swerving off to soar over the green grassy fields toward the landing pad, and it braked to a swift, skillful stop a few meters from her.

Revan jumped off the bike and walked over to Jenn, grinning as she shook her head in mock disapproval.

"Aren't you a little old for swoop bikes?" she said with a teasing smile.

"I'll have you know I was the swoop champion of Taris and several other planets, too," Revan said, feigning wounded pride. "It's how I kept my crew fed and the _Ebon Hawk_ fueled while we were looking for the Star Maps."

"I did it by selling off all the stuff we collected that we didn't need," Jenn said. "You'd be amazed how much junk you end up with, wandering about the galaxy."

Revan grinned again. "No, I wouldn't." Some of the humor faded from his expression, replaced with relief. "I'm glad you're safe."

Jenn snorted. "_You're_ glad? _I_ was the one who was nearly marooned outside the galaxy by psychotic cultists." She smiled. "But thank you. I understand you had quite an adventure, too."

Revan's expression clouded for a moment, but he replied before she could ask him what was wrong. "Yes, we found a Star Forge," he said. "It's making ships and droids right now, and some of Vader's Vanguard Fleet officers are out gathering crews as well. Where is he, by the way?"

"He's coming," she said. "He had us drop him off at the _Executor_ first." Jenn's brows drew together. "You just left the Star Forge alone out there?"

Revan gestured vaguely. "No, HK's there with some of his YVHK droids."

Jenn raised her brows in only partially comic apprehension. "You left HK-47 unsupervised in the galaxy's largest droid and starship factory?"

Revan raised his own brows in mock horror. "You're right! I've got to get back there right away!" He chuckled, making a dismissive wave. "No, I told him not to touch anything. He'll be fine." He paused, his smile fading. "I hope. Maybe I should hurry back anyway, after the conference."

"I'll go with you," Jenn said. "I owe Mara Jade a ship. The one she loaned me got a bit… destroyed."

Revan smirked playfully. "You do have a bad habit of crashing ships that don't belong to you."

"I didn't crash this one," Jenn said defensively. "And this wasn't my fault, either; those cultists blew it up."

"I suppose that's as good an excuse as the others," Revan said, still smirking impudently. She cuffed his shoulder with the back of her fingers, chuckling.

Nearby, the speeder drew to a stop and its doors opened. Mara, her children, and Anakin Solo went over to it, meeting Luke, Han, and Leia. Jenn smiled to herself as she watched the family enthusiastically greet one another, happy to be safely back together again for a little while at least.

She sensed something troubling her friend, and she turned back to him. "Hey, what is it?"

He shook his head slightly, suppressing a frown. "We can talk about it later. For now, we've got quite a bit else to catch up on, it seems." He gestured to the others, who were headed into the Jedi Temple, and they followed.

* * *

><p>Though it was of course there peacefully, the head controller at Alderaan System Traffic Control still felt a distinct sense of unease as the immense battle station <em>Phoenix<em> appeared in the skies above his homeworld like an extra moon. This sense of unease faded only when the _Phoenix_ pointedly rotated until its gigantic crater-like superlaser array faced away from the planet.

"_Shuttle _Lanvarok, _bearing Commander Solo's party, requesting permission to land," _a female, Onderonian-accented voice transmitted.

"Permission granted, _Lanvarok_," the head controller transmitted back. "You are cleared to land at the Royal Palace."

"_Acknowledged."_

"So this commander is one of those Solo kids?" the junior controller asked, looking up at him over her monitor.

"I think so."

The junior controller's face shifted into a puzzled frown. "Where did he even find that thing?"

The head controller shrugged. "I have no idea. Nobody tells me anything."

* * *

><p>According to ancient legends, Alderaan's moon was a tremendous barque, the lunar goddess' vessel in which she sailed the sea of stars, watching over all her scattered children. Ben knew it was just a story, the invention of some long-dead imaginative storyteller, yet at the moment he found it comforting. After his recent journeys, being back here, sitting in his favorite place to think high atop one of the Jedi Temple's spires with the familiar moon above him, he felt calmer, more relaxed than he had in a long time.<p>

Thinking of the ancient story made him remember the vision he'd had, nearly forgotten amidst the turmoil of the last several weeks. He'd thought about it often, had puzzled over it in his mind, and yet he was no closer to realizing what some of it meant.

He sensed his father approaching, and turned to look as the roof hatch opened. "Mind if I join you?" Luke asked as he stepped out onto the rooftop.

Ben gestured wordlessly to the gently angled rooftop beside him, and waited as his father walked over and sat down, gathering his outer robe about himself.

"Something's bothering you," Luke observed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"You have visions sometimes," Ben said. "Do you ever have trouble figuring out what they mean?"

"Occasionally," Luke replied, looking up at the moon. He turned back to Ben. "Have you had one?"

Ben nodded, then summarized what he could remember. "What about Jacen?" he asked. "In my vision, he was cold, brutal, and he refused to fight alongside the rest of the family. Does that mean he's in danger of falling to the Dark Side?"

"It might," Luke said. "A vision isn't a guarantee; just because you see something in a vision doesn't mean it will definitely happen. Sometimes they're warnings, and you have to find some way to prevent what you see. 'Always in motion is the future', Master Yoda used to say. Our choices are constantly affecting the universe around us."

Ben frowned. "Visions are confusing."

Luke laughed lightly. "Yes, they are." His smile faded, and he met Ben's eyes with a serious expression. "But you can't let yourself get obsessed with premonitions and prophecy. Many Jedi have made serious mistakes in trying to follow or prevent what they saw in a premonition - your grandfather included. What you must do is meditate upon what you saw, and try to realize what you are really meant to learn from it."

As he thought about this, Ben looked back up at the sky, so reminiscent of the jewel-flecked hall he had seen. "I think I'm supposed to fight Pyrron, or all of us, our family, are," he said finally. "But I don't know how."

"I don't know, either," Luke admitted. "But I sense… we might know soon."

* * *

><p>Though she was tired, Jenn decided to stop by Revan's quarters briefly before she went to bed. The halls of the Jedi Temple were quiet and dim, lit only by the silver moonlight filtering in through the windows and skylights, and a few softly glowing globes mounted along the walls at regular intervals.<p>

Revan must have sensed her approach, for the door to his quarters quietly hissed open even as she stopped in front of it, reaching up to the panel.

Jenn stepped inside the spare but comfortably furnished room, her attention drawn to the only source of illumination, the holoprojector between the couches. Currently, it displayed a life-sized hologram of Bastila with her daughter seated on her lap. Revan sat with his back to the door, watching.

"I hope that wherever you are, you are safe, and that someday you will return to us_,_" Bastila was saying, looking down at Varen briefly as the toddler fidgeted. She paused, looking back up with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "I hope that I see you again, that we can raise our daughter together, but if we cannot, then know this: I love you, and I always will. Until we meet again, may the Force be with you."

"Force wif' you!" Varen burbled, waving her tiny hands.

Bastila smiled. "Say, 'good-bye, Daddy'."

"Bye, Daddy!"

Revan gestured with one hand, and the holorecording backed up a few seconds.

"Bye, Daddy!"

"Thank you for bringing me this," Revan said without looking back at Jenn.

She stopped next to the couch's other end, looking over at him as the recording ended and the soft blue light faded away. "Mara told me what happened on the Star Forge," she said. "I'm sorry."

"From what I could find in the archives here, Bastila served on the Council with your apprentices for a long time, and eventually became the Grand Master," Revan said as if he hadn't heard her. "When she grew up, Varen became a Jedi, as well, and eventually she, too served as the Grand Master." She couldn't see his face in the darkness, but in his voice was an odd mixture of sadness and pride. "Several of her descendants were Jedi, as well."

In what little moonlight filtered in through the curtains, Jenn could see his head turn toward her. "Tionne has done quite a bit of research on our era, and has even uncovered some records that weren't in Vader's copies of the old Jedi archives on Coruscant. There isn't much more in there about them, but they seem to have lived out their lives in peace."

"Sekot said there might have been a purpose in our being trapped at Arctriel," Jenn ventured. "That only we could help lead these modern Jedi against what's happening now."

"A Jedi's life is sacrifice," Revan said bitterly. He stood abruptly. "I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate it, but if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while."

"Of course," Jenn said gently. "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."

She turned to go, but as she did, the moonlight flashed off of something on the couch beside the place where Revan had been sitting. After peering at it for a moment, Jenn realized it was his mask.

Silhouetted in darkness, Revan looked down at the mask himself. "You should get some sleep," he said, his voice neutral. "Tomorrow the conference starts, and we decide how to win this war."

As the door closed behind her, Jenn heard the holoprojector hum back to life.

"Bye, Daddy!"

* * *

><p>Malysa Kolos moved briskly through the corridors of <em>Executor<em>, headed up to the conning tower. When she arrived at the Grand Admiral's command room, she found both Thrawn and Darth Vader waiting there for her, and she heard a brief snatch of their conversation as she approached.

"It is ready, then?" Vader said to Thrawn.

The Chiss admiral nodded once. "All the tests were successful. Delta Red can be deployed in our next engagement, if you wish."

Vader looked back at Malysa as the door closed behind her, his blue prosthetic eye bright in the dimly lit command room. "Kolos," he said by way of greeting.

"Lord Vader," she said as she stopped next to him in front of Thrawn's desk. "Admiral."

"Our reconnaissance teams have sent us some troubling reports," Thrawn said, gesturing to a datapad on his desk. "A Yuuzhan Vong battle group slipped through Republic patrols and attacked Ord Rheznir, an Outer Rim colony, within the last few days. It's a small, out-of-the-way system, without any real defensive capabilities."

"I thought Jacen chased down all the ships that escaped from the Mytus system," Malysa said with a frown.

"He did," Thrawn confirmed. "This seems to have been a different battle group."

Malysa sighed in frustration. "The Republic fleet is stretched dangerously thin patrolling the border sectors. We just don't have enough ships to station a carrier group in every inhabited system."

"Which makes this alliance with Fel's forces all the more imperative," said Vader. "According to survivors' reports from Ord Rheznir, the Vong spared most of the population there in order to take them captive."

Malysa's eyes widened in horror. There was only one reason why Yuuzhan Vong would take live prisoners. "Sacrifices."

Vader nodded grimly. "The Vong have suffered heavy losses recently, especially to the Burned. We can only imagine what their religion makes of Pyrron and his cultists. In any case, they will be attempting to appease their heathen gods through ritual mass slaughter. They have done it before."

"How many people have they taken?" Malysa asked.

"By our scouts' estimates, roughly nine million," Thrawn answered. "They bombarded some areas so thoroughly that it's difficult to tell."

"The Vong will likely begin their slaughter soon," Vader said. "I am tasking Thrawn with finding the base where they have taken these captives. You will work with Colonel LaRone's unit on reconnaissance."

Malysa looked up at him. "You're not coming with us?"

"I must attend the conference on Alderaan," Vader replied. "If the Republic and the Empire form an alliance, I must be there to secure Vanguard Fleet's place in the arrangement."

"I'll get started right away," Malysa said, only a step behind Vader as he headed for the door.

* * *

><p>As she walked along the well-worn path through the forest outside the Jedi Temple, Qeris could see why Jacen had chosen this grove as his favorite place to meditate, or just to be by himself for a while.<p>

Silver moonlight filtered down among the slender white-limbed trees, sparkling on the narrow clear stream that paralleled the path. Night-singing insects chirped a gentle choir back in the trees, accompanied by the wind whispering through the leaves overhead.

"There is… nothing like this on Coruscant," she said to Jacen, reaching over to take his hand. "There are gardens and parks, of course, but nothing like this."

She could see the smile beneath his beard even in the soft silver light. "It's been too long," he said. "Too long since I've walked through a place so _alive_." Slowly his smile turned to a frown. "Jaina's right; I _have_ become… cold. I came far closer to the Dark Side than I thought when I killed the Empress."

Qeris squeezed his hand. "That's why we're here, isn't it?" she said, looking into his eyes. "For a few moments of peace before the conference begins tomorrow?"

Jacen smiled again. "You're right." He gestured with his other hand. "It's just up ahead." He paused. "Do you feel that?"

Qeris nodded in agreement, having also sensed a presence ahead. "Someone is already there."

As they rounded the last bend in the path, Qeris looked around at the grove of enormous white trees, their limbs high overhead grown into an intertwined living canopy draped with vines and covered in pale silver-green leaves. Through chance or perhaps by the designs of some ancient gardener, the trees formed an almost perfect circle around a small verdant meadow, the canopy a dappled green dome several meters above them. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined from Jacen's description.

In the center of the meadow sat Revan, wearing his usual loose-fitting dark brown layered tunic and black trousers, his boots and outer robe folded on the ground next to him. He sat with his legs folded beneath him in a meditative posture, his hands resting on his knees. Revan's eyes opened and he looked over at the two of them as they paused in the entrance to the grove.

"Sorry to disturb you," Jacen said. "We can go somewhere else."

"No, it's fine," the Jedi Master said. "You can join me if you like. I just needed a quiet place to think."

"This is certainly a good place for that," Jacen said as he walked further into the grove. "I've spent a lot of time here, meditating."

"I know," Revan said with a slight smile. "I sensed it when I first came here, and the life here responded when you drew close. The animals who live in this part of the forest are accustomed to your presence."

They removed their shoes and sat on the grass near the Jedi Master, the three of them forming the points of a triangle.

"Though I didn't remember it the last time I was there," Revan went on, "there was a place similar to this on Dantooine near the Enclave where I would go to think when I was a student." He gestured to the grove around them. "I can see why your uncle chose this area for the new temple and its grounds."

"The Force is very strong here," Qeris agreed, adjusting the sleeve of her loose dark red tunic. "On Coruscant, the only life nearby is sentient, and their thoughts are too… noisy, if that makes any sense. It took me years to learn to tune them out, and I still find it difficult at times."

Revan nodded slowly. "It is often difficult to center oneself, surrounded by strangers." He frowned. "Even sometimes around people you thought you knew."

Jacen looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"In the second parallel universe, the darker one," Revan said, looking down, "the Star Forge we found was controlled by that universe's counterpart of… of my wife, Bastila. I was forced to kill her."

Qeris shared a glance with Jacen, sensing his unease.

"Your thoughts are disturbed," Revan observed. "You've had a similar experience, I sense."

"The Empress was my mother's counterpart, as you know," Jacen said softly. "She tortured both of us for weeks, and in the end I killed her." He sighed.

"Is that why you've been avoiding your family since you returned?" Revan asked. "You killed a version of your mother, and now you're not sure how to talk to the real one."

"Partly," Jacen admitted. "But also because… when I killed Lady Vader, I… I enjoyed it. Jedi do not take revenge, and yet… though I called it justice, revenge was exactly what I took on her, for all that she inflicted on me." He looked back up at the Jedi Master, his expression pained. "I feel like I can't face them after doing something like that."

"It is sometimes difficult to separate the two," Revan allowed. "But justice is about harmony; revenge is making yourself feel better." He looked over at Jacen sympathetically. "Your conflict, I think, is because what you did was a mixture of both. The Empress' unrepentant evil made her undeserving of life, so you were right to end her, but you were wrong to enjoy it. When you did that, you brushed the Dark Side," he said bluntly.

Jacen's shoulders slumped, and he turned downcast eyes on the ground in front of him.

Revan reached out to touch his forearm. "But, the guilt you feel is proof that you have not fallen completely under its sway," he said gently. He squeezed the younger man's arm. "Take that guilt, _use_ it to keep yourself grounded in the Light, to avoid straying from the path again."

"I will," Jacen said resolutely. But then his expression faltered; he seemed about to say something, but unable to articulate what he felt.

Revan straightened, nodding perceptively. "I know what you feel," he said, a hint of pain evident in his voice. "I feel it, too. But what you have to remember, what we _both_ have to remind ourselves, is that that was _not_ my wife I killed, and that was _not_ your mother you killed. They had the potential to be the same, but they were only… distorted reflections of the ones we care about. In our universe, where we belong, my wife and your mother made entirely different choices, and _that_ is what you and I have to keep in mind. Our choices determine our destiny.

"I was once a Sith Lord, but I chose to turn away from that path. You could have become a similar creature of darkness, Jacen, a distorted, monstrous version of yourself, and _you chose not to._ Remember that the same is true of your mother: Leia is not Lady Vader because she has chosen not to be. In _this_ universe," Revan said, placing his hand emphatically on the ground, "there is no wickedness in her heart, only love for you. _She_ is your mother. What you killed was merely her shadow. Don't reject Leia because of what her shadow did; your mother did none of those things. You need her and the rest of your family now more than ever."

"What do you mean?" Jacen asked.

Revan gestured to Qeris, glancing over at her before looking back to Jacen. "Forgive my boldness, but I sense your feelings for one another, the connection between you that will deepen and grow as you develop it. _Use_ that connection, use the bonds between yourself and those for whom you hold affection in all its forms to keep you at peace. A very wise man once told me that the Jedi were wrong to forbid attachment, love; love will _save_ you, not condemn you. It's true that all the forms of love bring up strong emotions, but learning to handle them is what makes you a complete person. True inner peace is not the total lack of emotion; it is keeping one's emotions under control rather than letting them control you."

Jacen took a deep, purifying breath, and Qeris smiled at what she sensed in him. "Thank you," Jacen said to the Jedi Master. "I… needed to hear that."

"So did I," a voice said softly behind them.

Qeris turned, surprised; she had been so focused on Revan's words that she hadn't sensed anyone approach. She saw Jacen's mother standing at the entrance to the grove, dressed in flowing white robes as always, her hair bound up in twin looping braids.

Revan was completely right: though their faces were the same, Leia could not have been more different than her twisted counterpart. Qeris felt nothing even remotely similar in her to what she had sensed in the Empress, not even a hint of cruelty or malice.

Jacen stood, turning to face her. "Mom, I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Leia said gently as she approached. "You're back with us now. You're safe here."

Wordlessly, Jacen went to his mother and let her fold him into her embrace.

Qeris turned as Revan lightly touched her shoulder. He gestured back down the path, and she silently nodded and rose to follow him, withdrawing to let Jacen and his mother talk.

As they walked down the soft dirt path, Qeris looked over at the tall Jedi Master, seeing the moonlight glint on the few silver strands in his dark hair and beard. It gave him an air of wisdom and dignity, she thought, accentuating the peace he radiated through the Force. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Jacen - and I - needed to hear what you said."

Revan nodded slightly. "I needed to say it, if only to hear it myself."

* * *

><p>From the living room viewport of her family's quarters in the Jedi Temple, Ami could see several levels down to the balcony where Padmé and the recently-arrived Vader stood leaning against the railing, talking.<p>

"What do you suppose they're saying?" said her cousin Anakin, standing next to her.

"It's none of our business," Jaina said from her seat on one of the couches, looking over at the two of them reprovingly.

"Of _course_ it's our business!" Ami objected. "They're our only grandparents, and this is the first time they've had a real conversation since before we were born!"

Jaina's reproving gaze did not falter. "It's between them. If we were supposed to hear it, they'd be in here with us." She tapped her fingers against the arm of the couch a few times. "Besides, you both should be working on the reports you'll be giving at the conference tomorrow. Our leaders need to hear about what you found out in Companion Grek and at Zonama Sekot."

"I still don't completely understand that," Ami said, puzzled. "How can a planet be a seed?"

"Because it's not just a planet," Ben said, looking up from his datapad where he sat in a chair by the fireplace. "Zonama Sekot is alive, a sentient planet in symbiosis with its inhabitants through the Force. You were there with us; you know how that place felt."

"Yes, I knew _that_, Mr. Expert Big Brother," Ami said impatiently. "It's the whole 'seed' part that confuses me. How can a planet grow from a seed?"

"What did Sekot tell us?" Ben said rhetorically, leaning forward in his seat. "Yuuzhan'tar, the original Vong homeworld in their home galaxy, was a sentient planet, too. Zonama was its seed, a sort of offspring. They're not really planets as we understand them; they're really, really big organisms _like_ planets, alive and sentient, able to touch the Force."

"Right, right, and that's why the Vong are 'outside' the Force," Anakin said, walking over to lean against the couch next to his sister. "Yuuzhan'tar was destroyed in a war back in the Vong galaxy, and since their ancestors were in symbiosis with it, the trauma of its death severed their connection to the Force, including the animals they later turned into their tech."

"Like what happened to Jenn at Malachor V," Ami said, "and again to you guys when Pyrron attacked you."

"Exactly," said Ben, smiling in approval. "And since Sekot had fled the war by itself, and no one Force-Sensitive was left among the Vong, they've never been able to restore their connection in the millennia since then. Remember, Sekot said it thinks what the Vong call their gods are just a distorted concept of what their ancestors knew as Yuuzhan'tar's sentience; their trying to get closer to their gods through ritual mutilation is just a twisted way of trying to get back that ancient symbiosis with their homeworld."

"So, since Sekot still has its connection to the Force," Jaina said, "it might be able to help the Vong regain theirs. And maybe, just maybe, that prospect _might_ get them to stop their invasion."

"That's what it said," Anakin confirmed. "Jenn understands the whole thing a lot better than I do, which is why I'm going to let her do the explaining at the conference."

Ben smirked. "There's a surprise."

Anakin leveled a finger at him in mock irritation. "Hey, I'm plenty smart in all the ways that really count, Professor."

Ami held up a hand. "Before this turns into yet another sparring match, how about we all just go to bed? Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Both Ben and Anakin turned to her in surprise. "That's not where this was going," said her brother.

Jaina looked over at Ami, gesturing to the boys with a playfully teasing smile. "What do you know," she said. "They are growing up."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I think I spent more time trying to get this chapter just right than any other single chapter in this story so far. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	27. Interference

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Seven<strong>  
>(Interference)<p>

As so often happened when anyone actually tried to get anything done, Anakin Solo thought irritably, the bureaucrats and politicians bogged things down by wasting everyone's time.

He tried not to fidget in his seat at one of the tables arranged on the floor of the Senate rotunda. Some stuffed-robe or another was blathering on from his podium, saying nothing of any real consequence, but Anakin knew it would be commented on if a Jedi - or more importantly to this crowd, the grandson of the Republic Chancellor - were to yawn during one of the speeches. How did his mother and grandmother ever manage to keep so calm while listening to this inanity?

Perhaps the only delegate who did not bother to conceal his irritated impatience was Anakin's grandfather. Vader sat openly glaring at the stuffed-robe, his arms crossed, drumming the fingers of his right hand on his left bicep. Anakin thought it must be satisfying in a perverse way to be that uncaring of what other people thought.

Given holorecords of old Imperial Senate sessions he had seen, he thought that it was a small miracle Vader hadn't just telekinetically shoved the Senator back to his seat by now.

Though he would never admit it openly, Anakin almost felt like doing the same; the effect of the Imperial fleet's presence on the Republic tax rate over the next fiscal quarter was _completely_ irrelevant. The Senator was probably just going on because the leaders of most of the galaxy were here, and this was his one chance to speak to them about the otherwise insignificant issue under his oversight. Never mind that _two_ conquering fleets threatened the Republic; _taxes_ were at stake.

Finally the politician whose name Anakin couldn't be bothered to remember sat down, but he had to suppress a groan at who stood up to activate his podium next. The large screens mounted at various places around the rotunda shifted to display the head and shoulders of Borsk Fey'lya, Senator for Bothan space and a long-standing pain in the exhaust port for Anakin's family.

A quick glance at the seats nearby revealed Anakin's father rather unsuccessfully attempting to hide a frown, and Aunt Mara not even bothering to hide hers. Uncle Luke's face was of course more placid, but through the Force Anakin could sense him preparing to suppress irritation. Both Leia and Padmé wore identical serenely patient expressions.

"Honored delegates," Fey'lya began, rippling his fur, "I feel I must be the first at this conference to bring up the issue of the tremendous weapon of war currently orbiting this world, and what must be done about it. The ability to destroy a planet is not insignificant, and it is of the highest importance that we decide quickly who is to assume control of this Death Star."

"With respect, Senator," Jacen said from his seat at Phoenix Fleet's table, activating his microphone, "I am in command of the _Phoenix_. The issue is already settled."

Fey'lya looked down at Jacen with open condescension. "Don't be ridiculous. You are merely an adolescent, Apprentice Solo, and obviously cannot be trusted with the responsibility of a station of that size and its accompanying fleet."

Whispers rippled through the rotunda at this astonishing rudeness.

Though he kept his expression mostly under control, Jacen's gaze up at the Bothan went flinty. "With respect, Senator," he said again, his voice going noticeably deeper, "the _Phoenix_ and its fleet were not constructed by any of the factions at this conference, and therefore none of them have the right to demand control. The officers of Phoenix Fleet have chosen me as their commander. The issue is settled."

"You are not even a full Jedi," Fey'lya rebutted. "You don't have the right to take command of anything. By my authority as a Republic Senator, I demand that you surrender control of your Death Star and all accompanying vessels immediately."

Anakin noticed Jacen and Vader's expressions harden into identical glares up at the Bothan amidst the flurry of surprised murmurs echoing around the rotunda. Dressed similarly as they were in black uniforms, it made for a slightly unsettling symmetry between them.

"Order! Order!" Vice-Chancellor Winter Celchu called from her seat next to Anakin's grandmother at the Chancellor's podium. Slowly the murmurs faded.

Padmé herself stood and frowned up at the Bothan. "Senator Fey'lya, you have not been authorized to make such demands!"

"I need no authorization," Fey'lya sniffed. "I am acting on my authority as a Senator of this august Republic against a clear threat to the safety of its citizens. Apprentice Solo is a member of the Jedi Order, and as such, must comply with orders from this body. Solo, I _order_ you to surrender the _Phoenix_ immediately!"

"It seems I must refresh the Senator's knowledge of the Republic's laws," Anakin's mother said before another uproar could begin. "The Jedi Order is a sovereign body. We work with the Senate, but we do not take orders from it." Leia gestured to Luke, Mara, and the other Jedi Masters who sat at her table and those near it. "The rest of the Jedi Council and I were quite clear on that point when we re-founded the Order."

"A point _I_ voted against!" said Fey'lya. "Though your family continues to have an alarming amount of influence in galactic affairs, you will not silence me. My concerns are legitimate! What if this boy goes rogue like his grandfather? If he decides to turn this crisis to his advantage, he has in his hands the tools to conquer the galaxy!"

The entire rotunda erupted into a flurry of shouted arguments at this, and not even the Vice-Chancellor could restore order for several minutes. During the uproar, Anakin noticed something significant: though his mother's and grandmother's composed expressions had not wavered in the slightest after this accusation, he sensed in both of them outrage almost as strong as his own.

Their secret, it seemed, was one he had already learned; they merely had more practice.

Anakin sensed Jacen struggling to calm himself, and he sent his reassurance to his brother through the Force. Though he looked so different now and even felt different in the Force, a hint of the old Jacen came through in the form of a brief lopsided smile back at his brother. Anakin smiled himself, pushing aside his indignation on his brother's behalf; if Jacen could remain calm after such an outrageous accusation, then so could he.

Emperor Fel himself stood up, and as the camera operators focused on him and his dark-bearded face frowned down disapprovingly from the giant screens, the ruckus gradually quieted.

"This is a time of crisis," the Emperor began, "and in such times, unusual action must sometimes be taken. As leader of the Empire, I support the right of Commander Solo and his forces to remain independent for the duration of this crisis. The _Phoenix_ is indeed a powerful weapon of war, and I understand Commander Solo's desire to retain control so as to avoid its misuse. The _Phoenix_ is needed in the war; once the war is over, _then_ we can decide what is to be done with it."

"With respect, Lord Fel, but you cannot be serious!" Fey'lya exclaimed. "You cannot seriously be advocating that the Death Star remain in the hands of a mere boy!"

Fel turned a withering look on the Bothan Senator. "You do not have all the facts," he said sharply. He gestured to Qeris, who sat next to Jacen. "I have received a full report from one of my Imperial Knights who was with Solo as he acquired the _Phoenix_. She assures me he is more than capable of commanding Phoenix Fleet, and I trust her judgment. Furthermore, as was said earlier, the officers in command of Phoenix Fleet have chosen Solo as their commander, a decision hardly made lightly."

Fey'lya started to speak again, but Fel raised a black-gloved hand and pointed at the Bothan warningly to indicate he wasn't finished.

"Furthermore," the Emperor went on, "Commander Solo has already pledged his full cooperation with both the Republic and Imperial militaries. Phoenix Fleet will hardly be operating without oversight. In addition, I will be so bold as to say that only the Jedi can be trusted with such a weapon; as self-described guardians of peace and justice, they will not be quick to use such destructive power."

Darth Vader stood up, and the entire rotunda went even more silent. "Though my opinion may not considered objectively by some members of this conference," he began with a pointed look at Fey'lya, "I agree with His Highness the Emperor. Only those in tune with the Force can see all considerations and fully weigh all options. I will remind the honored Senator," somehow he made this sound like an insult, "that during the Ssi-Ruuk war, my former apprentice and I discovered a way to destroy stars with the Force, and that we refrained from doing so during the Galactic Civil War. To be blunt, Senator, I could have exterminated your species when you began supporting the Rebellion, and I chose not to. Commander Solo has already demonstrated his rejection of the Dark Side of the Force, and therefore will be even less inclined to use such acts of mass destruction than I was."

Like most in the rotunda, Anakin remained silent for several moments in equal parts shock and agreement. He had been right earlier, he thought; only his grandfather would be so bold as to say such a thing, though frankly it needed to be said.

"I… can see my motion will not be supported," Fey'lya said a bit shakily, clearly flustered. "However, I stand by it, and I will continue to protest the use of the Death Star without full Republic oversight."

"Duly noted," Winter said crisply. "Do you have anything else to add, Senator, or do you yield the floor?"

"I yield," Fey'lya replied, fur rippling. "For now."

"We will adjourn for a twenty-minute recess," said Winter, "then we will discuss the next point on the agenda."

As the delegates dispersed, Anakin went over to Jacen. "That was impressive, big brother," he said, reaching up to pat Jacen's shoulder. "I don't think I could have kept my temper under control like that."

"It wasn't easy, believe me," Jacen admitted, "but as I was recently reminded, that's what makes a true Jedi."

Over Jacen's other shoulder, Qeris smiled approvingly, as did Jaina, who was only a few steps away.

Anakin also noted a thoughtful expression on the face of his grandfather, who had clearly heard every word.

* * *

><p>"This is the problem with not bothering to properly survey uninhabited systems every few years," Malysa Kolos said, seated in the cockpit of her team's gunship. "Even hostile-environment worlds can harbor entrenched hidden bases. A lot of the Republic government was at Hoth; you'd think they would remember that."<p>

"The destruction of the Horuset system affected hyperlanes throughout this sector," Colonel LaRone said from the other passenger seat in the cramped cockpit. "It's extremely difficult to even get to Ziost in the first place, and on top of that it's been abandoned for millennia. Nobody wants to live on a world in the middle of an ice age, much less one that used to be the capital of the old Sith Empire."

"Nobody except the Yuuzhan Vong," Malysa sighed. "By the way, thank you for reminding me of the _other_ major reason why I didn't want to come here. Who knows what we're going to find down there besides Vong?"

"Maybe the Sith monsters killed 'em all already," trooper Bentis put in, standing behind them.

"We're not that lucky," Malysa said wryly. "Well, _Executor_ and her task force aren't going to commit to struggling though that messed-up hyperlane unless we prove this is where the Vong brought the captives from Ord Rheznir."

"I got what looks like a worldship on long-range sensors," said Turc, who sat at the pilot's station. "Lot of other junk around it; maybe a fleet. They're hiding in the asteroid belt, so it's hard to tell." Something on his monitor flashed, reflecting on his helmet's black visor. "Wait a second, we've got heat signatures coming up the planet's gravity well. Yeah, those are definitely ships."

As they watched in tense silence, the ships flew out to the worldship and then several minutes later headed back to the planet, moving slightly differently on the way down.

"Look at that," LaRone said, pointing to the dots on the screen. "They're moving slower going down than they did coming up."

"They're heavier," Malysa said grimly. "Do we risk a landing, or do we go back now and tell Thrawn this is the place?"

"He'll want to take out this base eventually either way," LaRone said, "but we should make sure those are captives they're moving down to the planet and not just troops. We need to know whether to send in a ground assault or just blast the place from orbit, so I say we go in for a closer look."

Malysa sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that." She gestured to Turc. "You know the drill: make like a meteor."

* * *

><p>"Four thousand years later, the Senate is still mired in pointless quibbling," Jenn remarked to Revan after the day's session had ended. The two of them were walking back to the Royal Palace through the broad avenues of Aldera City, the sky above the elegant white spires of the buildings a brilliant mauve streaked with golden clouds as the sun slowly set behind the white-capped mountains.<p>

Revan shrugged. "The politicians do make things difficult sometimes, but it's dangerous to hold them in contempt. They're the elected representatives of their people, and it isn't our job to tell them what to do. We're just supposed to keep them from killing each other."

Jenn looked over at her tall friend in slight surprise. "That's not what you said during the Mandalorian Wars."

He glanced at her sidelong. "You disagree?"

She shook her head. "No, you're right that Jedi shouldn't hold anyone in contempt. It's just surprising to hear you say something like that after the speeches you made during the war."

"I was wrong about a lot of things when I was younger," Revan said quietly, nearly inaudible over the ambient noise of the city around them. "I know we were right to go out and fight the Mandalorians, but sometimes I wonder if I did it for the wrong reasons."

"I followed you and Malak because the Mandalorians were slaughtering whole planets out on the Rim, and the Senate and the Council weren't doing a damned thing about it," Jenn said, heading for a street vendor whose delicious-smelling wares had attracted her attention. "I couldn't just sit back in the Enclave and let that happen."

"Yes, your reasons for going to war were completely right," Revan said as they stopped at the stall, run by a diminutive Chadra Fan, and looked over the menu. "I don't know if I ever told you this, but your… zeal, I suppose is the best way to put it, was one of the things that kept me centered, confident that we really were doing the right thing." He turned to the Chadra Fan. "The ribenes with tomo spice, please."

"Same for me, please," Jenn said to the cook, thinking about what he had said as they waited. "No, you've never told me. I had no idea."

Revan smiled beneath his thick black beard. "Well, it's true." His smile faded. "I've often wondered what would have happened if the Battle of Malachor had ended differently, if Malak and I would still have fallen if you had stayed with us afterwards."

Jenn frowned, remembering that dark time in her life. "I was in danger of falling myself at the time," she said. "I was confused and hurt after losing the Force, and angry at the way the Council treated me when I went back to try to explain myself. That's part of why I went off to the Rim and stayed away from civilization for a while."

Another smile spread across Revan's face, and he looked into her eyes. "I don't think you would have fallen. It's just not who you are. Resisting the darkness no matter what happens to you has always been one of your strengths, Jenn. It's what makes you such a good leader, and a good Jedi. The old Council were wrong to cast you out. You were exactly what the Jedi Order needed against the Sith, as you proved later."

Jenn did not reply to this, thanking the Chadra Fan as they paid for their food and took the trays. As they headed for one of the benches at the edge of the spacious sidewalk, she thought about what he had said. Could anyone else have defeated Nihilus, Sion and Traya?

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, idly watching the passersby, until Revan set aside his tray, staring thoughtfully off into the distance. "I think Sekot was right," he said finally. "I think there's something unique about you that let you survive Pyrron's assault. I was able to repel him because I was linked into our Star Forge at the time, but you…" He let out a short, frustrated sigh. "I feel like there's something important I don't understand yet."

"Well, if I knew, I'd tell you for sure," Jenn said, taking a drink from her cup. "I still don't really understand it myself. There's-" She broke off as she sensed something.

"What is it?" Revan asked.

"Do you feel that?" Jenn said, concentrating. "It's like a… flicker. Something… something's happening."

"I don't sense anything unusual," Revan said, but he closed his eyes in concentration. "Wait. No, I feel it now."

"It's the Burned," Jenn said in alarm, finally recognizing what she felt in the Force. "They're here. One or more of them is nearby."

Revan pulled his comlink from his belt and rapidly keyed a number into it. "Traffic Control, this is Revan. Have any unidentified ships been spotted in the system today?"

"_No, we haven't seen anything unusual," _the controller replied. "_Why?"_

"Be on alert," Revan said, frowning thoughtfully. "Contact me immediately if anything does happen."

"I'll get a bag," Jenn said, gesturing to the food as she stood up.

"Just leave it," Revan said dismissively as he rose.

She fixed him with a pragmatic look. "Do _you_ want go running around the city on an empty stomach?"

He laughed lightly. "As usual, you have a very good point." He waved to get the Chadra Fan's attention. "Can we get a bag for this?"

* * *

><p>The remains of once-opulent stone palaces loomed up out of the ice covering Ziost's surface, draped with thick white cloaks of snow. The sky above was dark with storm clouds, rumbling to themselves in preparation to assault the frozen world yet again.<p>

Malysa shivered inside her heavy gray overcoat, wishing she knew where Jaina had left her armor, which was heated. They were roughly the same height and build, after all, so Jaina's armor would likely have fit her.

But if wishes were starships, as the saying went, then no one would live on Tatooine.

"Think we can get inside without those patrols noticing us?" she said to Vazkes, who crouched behind the snowbank in her white and gray camouflage-patterned armor.

She sensed a grin beneath Vazkes' helmet. "Ma'am, we're Vader's Fist; if we can't sneak into a place like this, then we need to hand in our guns and go home."

"My apologies for even asking," Malysa said dryly. She gestured with a gloved hand. "Lead on."

[…]

Vader's commandos were equipped with some pretty nifty toys, Malysa thought a few minutes later as she settled into an alcove in front of a window high above the enormous central hall of the frozen palace.

First, they'd used portable generators that emitted sound-dampening frequencies to conceal the noise from the entrance they melted into one of the palace's secondary entryways. They'd also draped said entrance with a sheet of thermal shielding that scanned as and looked like ice and snow except on very close inspection.

Grave was perched in a niche on the outside wall with his sniper rifle to make sure no one came close enough to give it a second look.

Next, the commandos had scouted out the passageway, quickly discovering its other end to be frozen over, as well, meaning the Vong likely didn't even know about this network of servants' tunnels running through the palace. After locating a number of unobtrusive observation ports where the servants of the ancient Sith had been expected to wait for their masters' call, they were now monitoring the Vong movements.

As Malysa had thought, the Vong had their intended victims packed in this central hall like pilchards, with only a few token fat-bellied biots that seemed to function as space heaters. She had no doubt there were other rooms filled like this in this palace and the other buildings in the frozen city, full of frightened, miserable captives.

Malysa looked up as she heard a quiet crackling noise; an icicle nearby, melting in the rising heat from the captives' bodies, was about to fall. It wasn't her doing, but the noise would probably make one of the guards look up here, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to squeeze back out of the partially frozen alcove before it landed.

She reached out with the Force to grasp the icicle, and it emitted another quiet crack as she gently broke it free of the ice. None of the guards looked up, but a little blonde-haired human girl did, looking straight at her.

Malysa put a finger to her lips, pulling the icicle back with the Force and setting it noiselessly atop another outcropping of ice at the same time.

* * *

><p>Markin Andross felt an elbow nudge his side, and he looked over at Kari to see his friend gesturing subtly toward the ceiling, the motion hidden behind her leg so the guard couldn't see. He followed her gaze and saw something moving in one of the narrow windows high up in the cold room.<p>

He sniffled, looking closer, and immediately clamped down on a gasp of surprise as he realized he saw a face, a human woman wearing goggles and a thick hood. She held the finger of one gloved hand to her lips, and Markin did his best to obey, trying not to react and alert the guards.

_Don't be afraid, little ones, _the woman mouthed to them. _We will be back soon._ She briefly held up what Markin realized was the hilt of a lightsaber, then moved back from the window and vanished.

A Jedi! Though he was still miserably cold, packed in here with so many other people, Markin felt a warm glow of hope.

* * *

><p>As Anakin and Ben followed the odd impression in the Force both of them had felt a few minutes ago, moving quickly through the streets of Aldera City, they encountered Jenn and Revan, who wore similar expressions of wary concentration.<p>

"You felt it, too," Ben said to the Jedi Masters.

"You're out here alone?" Revan asked, looking past them down the street.

Anakin nodded. "We were on our way through the garage to my speeder when we sensed something, and realized it was the Burned. I haven't seen any other Jedi on the way here."

"I don't think other Jedi would pick up on this," Jenn said, pulling her lightsaber from her belt. "Just those of us who were on the _Sabre_. Where's Corran?"

"With his family," Anakin replied. "You want me to call him down here?"

"No, call him and tell him to get to the temple," she said. "Wait. Better yet, you two go yourselves. Get Master Skywalker and as many other Jedi, Imperial Knights, whoever you can find. We don't have long until the Burned do… whatever it is they're here to do."

Anakin nodded quickly, drawing his own lightsaber. He set off through the streets at a sprint, Ben at his side, but suddenly stopped as he felt another tremor in the Force. "There's one!" he shouted, pointing to a gray-robed figure standing on a street corner.

The figure's hood turned in their direction, and it spun and ran as soon as it saw them. Anakin charged after it in hot pursuit, focusing on its sense in the Force.

"Over here!" he heard Ben shout behind him from down the street. "This way!"

Anakin heard more running footsteps, but he paid no attention, totally focused on the fleeing gray-robed figure. He ran down alleyways, leaping trash cans and parked speeders as he forced his legs to pump faster and faster, struggling to catch up with the cultist.

Stretched out to the Force, Anakin toppled trash cans, laundry lines, and any other obstacles he could locate to herd the Burned cultist into a dead-end alley he knew was up ahead. When he ran into the mouth of the alley himself a few moments later, he found the figure looking around frantically, searching for a means of escape.

Anakin ignited his indigo lightsaber and pointed it at the cultist in warning. "Nowhere to go," he called down the alley. "Don't do anything stupid, just give yourself up."

"It is you who must surrender if you wish to live," the Burned rasped back, raising her tattooed hands. Anakin could see beneath the hood now, and he thought this cultist might have been a Twi'lek, judging by the shape of her head beneath the ash-gray cowl.

"What are you doing here?" Anakin asked, slowly walking closer. "Are you here to attack the conference?"

"I am here for _you_, Anakin Solo," the cultist rasped, staring at him with glowing orange eyes. "You must join us or die."

Anakin smirked mockingly, bringing up his other hand to hold his lightsaber in a defensive position. "I choose neither."

The Burned Twi'lek raised her arms higher, and he saw flickers of light inside her sleeves. As he watched, tongues of flame leaped out of her sleeves through her fingers, swirling forward in a growing column of fire that swept down the alley at him.

Anakin drew on the Force to shield himself, and he felt a peculiar sensation as he did so. The raging fire completely surrounded him, but he felt almost no heat. He closed his eyes, concentrating on shielding himself from the fiery maelstrom, until finally he felt it fade away.

The walls of the buildings and the street were charred completely black around him but for a teardrop-shaped area about a meter in diameter around his feet. Anakin himself was completely unharmed, not even his clothes singed, as far as he could tell.

"How-?" the Twi'lek said, staring at him in plain astonishment.

Anakin's own surprise was equal to hers. How had that worked?

"It is as the Burned Lord told us," the cultist rasped, glaring at him. "You and the others hold a spark of our Fire within you." She spread her hands again. "No matter. You will still be purged!"

With that, the flames roared forth from her hands again, and Anakin scrambled to shield himself. The flames were hotter now, he could feel, even stronger than before. This time he could feel the heat over his entire body, unbearably hot, but he did not feel like he was burning. Somehow he was able to deflect the flames away.

Again, when the assault ceased, Anakin was left unharmed. He ignited his lightsaber again, meeting the cultist's glowing orange eyes in silent warning.

"It is true," the Burned said in a horrified whisper. "You must be destroyed!"

He tensed, preparing to shield himself again, but suddenly he felt another tremor in the Force and the cultist flew backward under a strong telekinetic push.

Jenn jogged forward down the alley, lowering her hand, with Ben and Revan only a step behind. The two Jedi Masters went ahead to where the cultist lay groaning, but Ben stopped in surprise.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, peering at Anakin. "What's with your eyes?"

"What?" Anakin said. "What are you talking about?"

"They're glowing," Ben said, gesturing to the cultist. "Like theirs do."

"Where are the rest of you?" Jenn said sharply to the cultist, interrupting Anakin's puzzled reply.

"The embers have come for you," the Burned Twi'lek said to her. "Your impurity shall be cleansed!"

She grabbed the lapels of Jenn's robe, and her hands began to glow, but again Anakin felt the odd sensation in the Force, and the flames disappeared almost before they could ignite. He sensed strong power flowing out of the cultist directed at Jenn, but the Jedi Master seemed to absorb it, closing her eyes in concentration.

Finally the Twi'lek's hands ceased glowing, and she collapsed back to the ground limply, breathing raggedly.

Jenn opened her eyes, and Anakin saw with surprise that they now glowed with a strong orange light just like the cultist's had. "There are three more of them in the city," she said, and as she spoke Anakin sensed them himself, as if they were bright lights shining in a dark room.

She shook her head slightly and blinked, and slowly the orange glow faded from her eyes, leaving them their normal blue. At the same time, Anakin's impression of the cultists' location faded, as if the lights had dimmed but not vanished.

"What was that?" Anakin asked her.

"I'm not sure," Jenn said as she stood. "You boys stay with her until the other Jedi get here. Revan and I will deal with the rest."

* * *

><p>"We'll have to keep this short, Admiral," Malysa said to the holographic image of Thrawn in the cockpit of their concealed gunship, the wind howling outside as it threw sleet against the viewports. "We don't know if the Vong will be able to trace this transmission."<p>

"_Understood,_" Thrawn said. "_What can we expect?_"

"There's at least one worldship in the system," said Colonel LaRone, next to her. "I counted ten Destroyer-analogues on the way in, and probably at least that many frigates hidden in the asteroid belt and the rings of the gas giants. Down here on Ziost itself, the prisoners are only lightly guarded, but the weather makes escape out of the question." He paused, sighing grimly. "Admiral, it's going to be difficult to take out the guards before they start killing prisoners; they're spread all through this city, and some of the chambers are underground where we can't get to them undetected."

"_Do not concern yourself with that, Colonel," _Thrawn said. "_I will have the situation under control when I arrive. _Executor_ out._"

As the holoprojector turned off, Malysa looked over at LaRone. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've been working for him almost thirty years now, and he still doesn't tell me everything."

* * *

><p>After their capture, both of the surviving Burned cultists had to be restrained to stop their repeated attempts to commit suicide; the third had been successful, and the fourth had been killed by Imperial troops. The leader of the contingent of Imperial Knights protecting the Emperor, a severe-looking man named Kanos, suggested using ysalamiri to prevent another self-immolation, and the Jedi reluctantly agreed.<p>

"What I want to know," said Han, standing in front of the angled one-way mirror window above one of the cultists' cells deep beneath the Royal Palace, "is why the Imps just happened to have some of those little lizards with them. Last time I checked, Myrkr was in Republic space."

"It is," Leia replied. "Malysa said once that Thrawn sent her and Boba Fett to Myrkr to collect some ysalamiri just before the Battle of Naboo; he probably gave some to Fel afterwards, which he's used since then to maintain a supply of them for… whatever he uses them for."

Han inclined his head in agreement. "Yeah, I don't really want to know, either." He hooked his thumbs in his pockets. "So what happened out there with Anakin and the others? I got a weird call from Corran wanting to know if any other Jedi's eyes started glowing when the cultists were using their powers. What's that about?"

Leia shrugged. "We're not sure. Luke is with those four right now, the ones who sensed the Burned when none of the rest of us did. We don't know for certain, but my guess is that when Pyrron attacked those who were on the _Sabre,_ he started doing whatever it is he does to his followers to link them all together, what they call 'going through the Fire.'"

"A forcible conversion, you mean?" Han asked.

She nodded. "That's what I think, anyway. We'll know if I'm right soon, hopefully."

Han scoffed. "Figures. Solve one problem, three more pop up."

"Have they said anything?" Darth Vader's voice said behind them, startling Han.

Hoping the movement was unobtrusive, Han let go of the grip of his blaster and slowly brought his hand back up to his belt.

"No, they've refused to speak since their capture," Leia answered as Vader moved to stand at her other side before the one-way mirror.

"Unfortunately, I do not have time to interrogate them myself," Vader said, his mechanical eye gleaming in his reflection. "I must depart to rejoin my fleet."

"What's going on?" Leia asked, turning to look at him.

"The Vong appear to be preparing for a ritual mass sacrifice," Vader replied. "My elite troopers found the location, and _Executor_'s task force is about to attack."

"I'll get the _Falcon_ ready," Han said.

Leia turned back to him. "Han, the conference-"

"-is your area of expertise," Han finished for her. "I'd rather be where I can actually get something done, even if it means working with him." He grinned disarmingly. "You're the one who wants us to get along, remember?"

"Going off to fight the Vong together was not what I meant," Leia said dryly.

"I already have a shuttle," said Vader.

Han waved dismissively. "The _Falcon_'ll get us there in half the time. You should know; I've outrun you more than once in it."

Vader's only reaction was to raise one eyebrow. "Indeed. Make your preparations, Solo. We leave in two hours."

Leia sighed as her father left. "It'll be a miracle if you both come back without killing each other."

Han just grinned again and didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>"What are you thinking?" Qeris murmured to Jacen. They stood off to one side in one of the meditation rooms in the Jedi Temple, watching as Luke, Revan, Tionne, and several other Jedi meditated with Jenn, Anakin, Ben and Corran, trying to learn more about their mysterious link with the fire cult.<p>

"I'm thinking I want to do something to help those captives on Ziost," Jacen replied. "But the _Phoenix_ would take much longer to get there than the _Falcon,_ and firepower is not what that operation needs." He frowned. "I should also be here to deal with any more stunts Fey'lya and his cohorts decide to pull during the conference. I still don't understand what he gained from doing that."

"He hopes to have the people of the Republic begin to distrust you," Qeris said. "By comparing you to your grandfather and making other wild accusations, he hopes to raise suspicions about your intentions, false as they may be, and therefore put himself in a position to gain greater favor with the people." She scoffed disgustedly. "A consummate politician."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose I could send a few ships to show our support of operations like this, to serve as reinforcements for Thrawn's task force if nothing else."

"We should go ourselves," Qeris suggested. "If you show by your actions that the rescue of civilians is important to you, it will cast doubt on the Senator's accusations."

"It wouldn't send the wrong message?" he asked. "My leaving the conference in the middle?"

She shook her head. "I do not think so. As I said, it will demonstrate more clearly than anything you could say here that conquest is not your intent. A conqueror would not bother to rescue civilians."

Jacen nodded in approval. "My mother stood up to defend us this morning; she'll see to it that no one tries anything like that again." He paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "We'll leave the _Phoenix_ here to protect Alderaan. No hostiles are likely to show up here, but as you've reminded me, actions can speak louder than words. We'll tell Admiral Kellig to go out and patrol the system, and Admiral Downes to bring the _Nemesis_ group to Ziost and link up with Thrawn."

Qeris gave him a slight smile, lightly amused. "I assume we'll be accompanying General Solo and Lord Vader personally?"

He smiled back. "However did you guess?"

"You two are headed to Ziost?" Mara asked, walking over to them.

Jacen nodded once in confirmation.

Mara grinned. "Why, yes, I'd be delighted to go with you and get away from this stifling conference for a few days," she said with sarcastic cheerfulness.

Jacen chuckled. "Then we'd better get going before half the delegates try to come with us."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	28. Delta Red

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* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Eight<strong>  
>(Delta Red)<p>

"A question for you, Solo," Darth Vader said as Han entered the _Millennium Falcon_'s main hold. "As a New Republic general, you have access to some of the best repair facilities in the galaxy. Why, then, is your personal vessel still in this… condition?" He sat in the acceleration couch behind the game board, wearing his armor. The death's-head helmet sat on the board in front of him, its black lenses seeming to stare at Han malevolently.

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts," Han replied, smirking to himself in recollection. "Besides, old habits die hard; I kept her looking like this back in my smuggling days so your port inspectors wouldn't look too close at her."

Chewbacca snarled something grumpy at Vader as he opened the maintenance hatch at one end of the hold with one hand, his toolbox in the other, and began wedging his hairy bulk inside.

"Do you normally perform repairs in-flight?" Vader said with a curious glance at the Wookiee.

Han grinned obnoxiously. "Only when we want to drop out of lightspeed without blowing up."

"I assume you are joking," said Vader, totally unamused. He leaned back in the couch, his armor creaking with the movement. "What my daughter sees in you still eludes me."

Han's only reply as he sat down in the chair next to the hold console was an even more obnoxious grin.

He looked up as he heard booted footsteps approaching, and saw Qeris and Jacen entering the hold. The Imperial Knight wore her usual black and red armor with dark red cloak, and somewhat surprisingly, Jacen was also armored. His suit was similar in style to Qeris', but his was black with bronze highlights, a large metallic orange phoenix symbol on the chest, and he wore gloves and a sweeping black cloak.

"Let me guess," Han said to his son, "_your_ helmet has horns on it."

"Yeah, big curvy ones," Jacen quipped, making a spiraling motion beside his head with his hands. "And a miniature flamethrower to make it look like I breathe fire."

Though Jacen was obviously joking, Han couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease; with them both in the same room, dressed in similar suits of armor with even their hair and beards cut in almost identical styles, his son and his father-in-law were a little too much alike for his comfort.

"It's mostly for show, Dad," Jacen said, picking up on this. "I'm the commander of a sizable military force now; I have to look the part."

"I think you were just copying me," Jaina joked as she walked into the hold, dressed in her own dark gray and black armor, holding her helmet under one arm. "Just like when we were kids."

"Mine's better," Jacen replied with a grin.

"Did _everybody_ bring a suit of armor?" Han said, gesturing at the four of them. "You're gonna make me feel left out."

"Speaking of that," Jaina said, looking over at Vader, "thanks for bringing this along from the _Executor_."

Vader inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"It's okay, Solo," Mara said as she entered the hold from the other side. "Armor's never really been my style, either." She wore an insulated black jumpsuit and boots with a long dark brown hooded overcoat. "How far to Ziost?"

Han checked one of the monitors on the console beside him. "About another ten minutes to our next jump point. Ackbar said in his last message that the task force has been dropping beacons at their recalculation points through this sector, so it shouldn't take us as long to get there."

"Yet another thing to thank Darth Nova for," Mara said with wry humor. "His destruction of Korriban screwed up navigation through this entire quadrant."

"And since Ziost is an aeon anyway, nobody's bothered to find a new hyperspace route there until now," Han commiserated. "The Vong knew what they were doing when they picked it."

"Aeon?" Qeris asked curiously.

"It's an old smuggling term," Jacen told her. "It stands for 'ass end of nowhere', I think, code for a system that doesn't get patrolled often or ever."

"Yep," Han confirmed.

"Ah," Qeris said with an amused smile. "I see."

"That's positively refined compared to some of his other ones," Jaina said with a grin. "And even those pale in comparison to Chewie when he really gets going. If you hang out with us long enough, you'll learn some good ones."

Chewbacca snuffled an amused confirmation of this from the maintenance hatch.

Qeris smiled again. "I look forward to it."

[…]

All traces of humor faded, however, when they reached Ziost. As the _Falcon_ drew closer to the ice-locked world, Han stared at the readings from his long-range sensors, puzzled.

"I don't get it," he said to Chewbacca, who sat next to him in the copilot's seat. "Why haven't any of those Vong ships launched fighters? The task force is right there."

Chewie growled back an observation that none of the Vong warships were firing, either.

"You're right," Han agreed. "They're just sitting there. What are they waiting for?"

Chewbacca pointed a furry finger at an image he'd pulled up from their telescopic array, and Han frowned. "Yeah, it's taken some torpedo hits, all right, but not enough to destroy it. What's going on here?"

* * *

><p>Down on the surface, Malysa Kolos was on her way back to the frozen city with the rest of her unit of Vader's Fist when she saw the first streaks of light high in the atmosphere, harbingers of what appeared to be dozens of TIE bombers.<p>

"I thought this was supposed to be a covert operation," she said, annoyed, as the first sonic booms reached her ears.

"_Colonel LaRone, this is Thrawn,_" the Chiss admiral's voice said in her earpiece. She turned to see LaRone beckoning her closer. "_Keep your unit at your landing area during the bombing run, then proceed into the city to report on the results._"

"With respect, Admiral," Malysa said, "there are millions of civilians in this city; a bombing run is the last thing we should be doing right now."

"_The civilians are in no danger, Master Kolos,"_ Thrawn replied calmly. "_Maintain position until firing has ceased. Thrawn out."_

Malysa scoffed. "Okay, I know he's good, but not even he can direct an aerial bombardment _that_ accurate. What is he doing?" She stopped, a sudden terrible realization coming over her. "Wait. A bombardment that poses no danger to civilians… By the Force," she said in a horrified whisper.

"What's wrong?" LaRone asked.

"It's a biological weapon!" she exclaimed.

Indeed, as the first wave of bombers roared overhead, their ordnance exploded among the ice-cloaked stone domes not into bright fireballs, but swiftly spreading clouds of pale red gas.

Wave after wave of TIE bombers swept over the city, adding more and more of the gas, until Malysa could see nothing but a great red cloud of death. For almost ten Standard minutes, the TIEs kept up their bombardment. Already she could hear screams echoing through the frigid air.

Malysa pulled on her gas mask with full face shield, angrily muttering to herself, and set off through the snow toward the city the moment the bombardment ceased and the bombers began climbing back up through the atmosphere.

"_Executor,_ this is Kolos," she said coldly as she marched into the city. "I have something you need to hear."

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett could feel the blood draining from his face as agonized howling mixed with wet gurgling noises filled the bridge through the comm speakers. He could hear other screams past the bestial-sounding Vong, higher-pitched screams of fear and horror, and finally he had to turn away in a wince, closing his eyes.

"Mute that transmission," he heard Thrawn say behind him, and the screams abruptly ceased.

"Sir, what's happening down there?" one of the bridge officers asked, clearly rattled.

"A victory, Lieutenant," Thrawn replied. "The first of many in what is hopefully the short remainder of this war. Alert Ackbar's ships to dispatch their landing vessels."

Piett crossed to the Grand Admiral's chair. "Sir, why was I not informed of this?" he asked quietly.

Thrawn met his gaze impassively. "Because, Admiral, you would have objected to Delta Red's use."

Piett stiffened. "Respectfully, sir, you are correct."

A small, humorless smile crossed his commander's face. "Unfortunately, Admiral, I no longer have the luxury of such scruples. This war has already gone on years too long, and in the face of this new threat presented by Pyrron and his forces, extreme measures must be taken, artless as they may be."

Piett swallowed, then took a deep breath. "It is… not what I would have done, sir."

Thrawn's glowing red eyes glittered as he placed his elbows on the armrests of his chair and steepled his fingers. "Then I suppose it is fortunate our positions are not reversed."

* * *

><p>Mara had walked many battlefields in her life, and had thought herself used to the sight of death even on a large scale. But this…<p>

As she walked through the now-crowded streets of the nameless frozen city on Ziost, Mara pulled her overcoat tighter about herself. Thousands of civilians milled through the streets around her, headed for the outskirts of the city where landing vessels circulated in a constant stream, ferrying the captives up to the fleet gathered above the icy world.

She was supposed to be helping to organize the evacuation with the other Jedi, Republic and Imperial soldiers who had come here, but Mara was too distracted by all the bodies of the Yuuzhan Vong, contorted as they had fallen during their agonized death throes.

It was fortunate, she reflected grimly, that Ziost was too cold for the smell to be as strong as it could have been.

The evacuation had been going for hours, and still the best estimates based on quick surveys of the captives said they hadn't even gotten a quarter of them off-planet yet.

"That way," Mara said distractedly to a man who stopped her to ask for directions to the landing zone. "Just follow the holo-beacons."

She heard raised voices ahead, and as she turned the corner, she saw Jacen, Jaina, and Qeris standing together before a cluster of Yuuzhan Vong bodies. Qeris and Jacen had their hoods raised against the chill, and Jaina wore her helmet, its visor open.

"Is this how the Empire fights its wars?" Jaina demanded of Qeris, plainly upset.

The Imperial Knight frowned. "You would rather see all these people murdered in a barbaric ritual?"

"Of course not!" Jaina snapped, glancing briefly at Mara as she stopped beside her. "But this is just… wrong."

"It eliminated the Yuuzhan Vong here without civilian casualties," Qeris pointed out. "Delta Red has no effect on anything but the Vong." She paused for a moment, pursing her lips. "It is… distasteful, but effective."

"I… I can't believe you agree with this!" Jaina exclaimed. "Jacen, tell her this is wrong!"

Jacen hesitated. "I…" He sighed. "I'd like to say I wouldn't have done this, but really, how is this different than using the Death Star on a Vong fleet?" He spread his hands, his cloak shifting with the movement. "There are no rules in war."

"There are for Jedi!" Jaina said emphatically. "You can't condone murder on this scale!"

"I don't!" Jacen replied. "You think this doesn't sicken me? But what sickens me even more is what the Vong would have done to these people if Thrawn hadn't acted. Can you honestly say our strike force could have eliminated the Vong contingent here without civilian casualties?" He gestured to the bodies. "We've read the same files, Jaina, and you've fought them even more times than I have over the last few months. Yuuzhan Vong do not follow the terms of the Caamas Convention, they do not negotiate, and they do not surrender. They are fighting a total war, and if we are to survive against them, we must respond in kind."

Jaina stared at him, taken aback. "You wouldn't have said that a few months ago."

"No, I wouldn't!" he said heatedly. "Because a few months ago I was just a naïve boy with no idea of the true extent of depravity and darkness facing me, facing _us_. I had to grow up and do what had to be done to survive!"

Jaina took a step back and closed her visor. "Then I'll let you get back to your troops, Commander," she said, her voice rendered flat and emotionless by her helmet. She turned and walked away.

Mara fell into step with her, and they walked in silence for a few moments.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jaina asked her.

Mara looked back at her former apprentice, so familiar, yet slightly alien in her faceless helmet and armor. "You said pretty much everything I would have," she said simply. "I don't like it either, but it's an unfortunate fact of war that when your opponent refuses to follow the rules, sticking to them yourself isn't going to work for long." She waved a hand abstractly in the direction of the _Executor_ overhead. "The Rebellion tried to negotiate with Vader at first, and it didn't work at all. They had to act."

Jaina stopped and opened her visor again, meeting Mara's eyes with determination in her own. "He agreed to negotiations once he revived Grandmother," she pointed out. "If Darth Nova and Isard hadn't attacked, don't you think those talks might have gotten somewhere? There are _always_ negotiating points. You just have to find the right ones."

"You're right," Mara agreed. "Sekot wants to make contact with the Vong; maybe it has just the negotiation points we need, things we've never been able to say to them before."

Jaina smiled slightly. "Always in motion is the future," she quoted. "We just have to find the right choice to make."

Mara had to laugh lightly at that. "What do you know," she said, gesturing between herself and her former student. "Teaching really does go both ways."

* * *

><p>"<em>Grand Admiral, this is unconscionable!"<em> Admiral Ackbar exclaimed through the holocomm array in Thrawn's command room. "_The use of biological weapons flies in the face of military honor and common decency!"_

"Tradition will not win this war, Admiral," Thrawn replied mildly. "Only force. You have not objected to the use of the superlaser arrays in the _Executor_ or the _Eclipse-_class vessels, or this Death Star under the control of Jacen Solo. Delta Red is merely another weapon in our arsenal."

Piett shifted uncomfortably next to Thrawn's desk, but yet again decided to say nothing, especially considering Lord Vader was also here in the command room in full armor, the rasp of his filtered breathing seeming unusually loud in the enclosed, dimly lit room.

"I will remind you, Admiral," Thrawn went on, "that Vanguard Fleet has been fighting the Yuuzhan Vong for twenty years already. Some of my men have spent almost their entire lives in battle. I mean to defeat these barbarians by any means necessary."

"_I have read the reports from the team of Jedi who went to Zonama Sekot,_" Ackbar said, placing his flipper-like hands on his belt. "_The planet is somehow linked with the Yuuzhan Vong, and with its aid, negotiation may be possible. Such extreme tactics are not necessary._"

"You will forgive me, Admiral, if my expectations for such an endeavor are low," Thrawn replied coolly. "If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Ackbar raised a hand to point at him. "_I shall, but this discussion is not over. Ackbar out."_

Once the hologram faded away, Vader turned to look at Thrawn. "Perhaps we should… reconsider our strategy," he said, a slight note of uncertainty audible even through his vocoder's deep mechanical distortion.

"I am surprised to hear you say that, Lord Vader," Thrawn said, looking at him over the glossy black surface of his desk. "You approved Delta Red's development, and authorized its use."

Piett could not see Vader's face behind his mask, and his posture gave no clues as to what he was thinking. He made no reply for several seconds, his deep breathing eerily loud and regular.

"It may be wiser to use Delta Red as a point in negotiations," Vader said finally. "Further use beyond this engagement may not be necessary."

"With respect, Lord Vader," Thrawn said with a hint of annoyance, "you have not been given to squeamishness in the past. I had thought that after this victory you would order Delta Red to be used in all future engagements with the Yuuzhan Vong."

Any reply Vader might have made was interrupted by the buzz of the intercom. Thrawn reached forward to answer it. "Yes?"

"_Sir, we're receiving an encrypted hail, Level Five,_" the comm officer reported._ "Its point of origin is Nirauan."_

Piett raised his brows in surprise; the base on Nirauan was top-secret, and its commander was not supposed to contact them except in extreme emergency.

"Put it through," Vader ordered.

"Shall I leave, sir?" Piett asked.

"No, Admiral," said Thrawn. "You are cleared for this."

After the decryption sequence finished, a blue-tinged hologram of Admiral Voss Parck appeared beneath the holoprojector. "_My apologies for breaking comm silence, Lord Vader,_" he began. "_But I have urgent news. In the last several hours I have received reports from our forces all through the Chiss Ascendancy and beyond that the Yuuzhan Vong are pulling their forces out of engagements and abandoning bases all over the quadrant. They…_" he paused, visibly surprised. "_They seem to be retreating sir, even from engagements they were winning._"

"They could not have received word of this already," Vader mused, turning his mask toward Thrawn.

"It is unlikely," the Chiss admiral agreed. "Have our scouts been able to track them?" he asked Parck.

"_Some seem to be heading back outside the galaxy, sir,"_ Parck replied. "_Others are heading deeper into the Unknown Regions, into areas even the Chiss haven't explored._"

"Where?" Vader asked. "What was their exact vector?" Parck transmitted the coordinates, and as Vader read them from Thrawn's desk display, he clenched his hands so tightly his gloves creaked. "Arctriel," he said grimly. "And from there, Lehon. They're going for our Star Forge."

"Theirs was recently taken," Thrawn said. "And the Ex-Gal stations have reported what appears to be intense fighting throughout the satellite galaxies. Combined with our campaigns here, they've taken heavy losses recently, and may be looking for a way to replenish their numbers."

"Or they may simply want to eliminate one of our advantages," Piett offered. "The fleet under construction at Lehon is nearly complete, and they may be looking to destroy it before it can be deployed."

Thrawn nodded once. "Also a possibility."

"_Also, sir, we've spotted a number of unfamiliar ships at our recent engagements in the last few days,"_ Parck said. "_They match the description of the fleet you encountered at Mytus: painted to resemble flames, with irregularly blinking running lights. They haven't attacked us; they seem to simply be observing._"

"Alert the garrison at Arctriel, and send as many of our ships as you can spare to Lehon," Vader said. "Keep a number of them on patrol between our bases, though."

"Send a communiqué to the Chiss Defense Fleet command telling them to be on alert, as well," Thrawn added. "The Republic and the Empire cannot easily send reinforcements to the Chiss, so Pyrron may choose them as his first target to test out his forces before proceeding to the main galaxy."

"I will have further instructions when I arrive at the Star Forge," Vader went on. "_Executor_ out."

Parck bowed in acknowledgment, and his hologram faded away.

"What shall we tell the Republic fleet?" Thrawn asked.

"The Rebels and the Jedi may do whatever they wish," Vader said dismissively. "The _Executor_ is going to Lehon."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Thrawn said, standing. He looked over at Piett. "Admiral?"

Piett bowed crisply. "I will prepare for our departure."

* * *

><p>Markin Andross kicked at a chunk of snow beside the low stone bench where he sat with Kari outside one of the numerous medical tents spread through the temporary refugee camp on Ziost. His mother was inside, having her injuries treated while they waited for their evacuation shuttle. They had finally found Yrka a few hours ago, but he still hadn't seen his father or brother, and Kari hadn't seen any of her family at all yet. Things were still all confused down here, though the Jedi and the Republic soldiers were doing their best to get everything organized.<p>

"What happened to all the Vong?" Kari asked him suddenly, for the fourth time in as many hours.

Markin still had no idea, so he just shrugged as he had last time. He didn't want to think about the horrible noises they'd made as they died, or all the blood. So much blood… He was never playing war ever again.

He heard someone call his name, and he looked up to see the woman he had seen back in the room where the Vong had kept him, the Jedi who'd introduced herself as Master Kolos when she had come to guide their group out here to the camp. Someone stood next to her wrapped in her heavy gray overcoat, and it took Markin a moment to recognize his brother Garrett.

He launched himself off the bench and ran over to them, nearly slipping on the ice several times, and caught his brother up in an exuberant hug. "You made it!"

Garrett said nothing, didn't even react to Markin's hug, and just kept staring straight ahead.

"What's wrong with him?" Markin asked Master Kolos. "Is he okay?"

The Jedi hesitated for a moment, like she didn't want to tell him something. "He isn't hurt," she said reassuringly. "He's just… been through a lot, I think. He might… get better now that he's back with you and your mother."

"Have you found my dad?" asked Markin, looking up at her.

"I'm sorry, I haven't," Master Kolos said gently. "But I'm still looking. A lot of people have gotten separated, and it'll take a while to get them all back together again. There's still hope."

Markin had heard the blaster fire and screams outside the shelter back at their farm. He tried to keep up hope like the Jedi said, but it was hard.

"Markin, Markin!" Kari said, tugging at his sleeve. "That's her!" she exclaimed, pointing. "That's Mara Jade!"

He turned to look, and saw that the red-haired woman she was pointing at was indeed Mara Jade, and she was walking over here. It was strange to see in person someone he had seen so many times in documentaries about the war and on the news, one of those famous people he almost didn't quite believe was real. He wondered if Luke Skywalker or Leia and Han Solo were here, too.

"Malysa," Mara greeted the other Jedi Master as she approached. "How's it going over here?"

"Confusing," Master Kolos replied. "It turns out not all of these people are from Ord Rheznir; it's going to take us weeks to sort all this out."

"We might have to leave it for Ackbar and his people," Mara said. "The _Executor_ is leaving for Lehon in a few hours, and we might be going with it."

"I'm staying here," Malysa said. Markin thought she sounded mad. "If this is the sort of thing Thrawn's going to be doing, I'm not working with him anymore."

Mara nodded in agreement, frowning slightly. "I don't like it, either, but they think the Vong might be preparing to attack the Star Forge. If so, we need to be there to help defend it."

Markin didn't pay attention to Malysa's reply because just then Kari ran off, and when he turned to see why, he saw her parents trying to make their way through the crowd a short distance away. He thought he saw a familiar face behind them, but too many people were moving for him to be sure.

Suddenly he heard his mother call his father's name behind him, and Tarrol emerged from the crowd with a broad grin, pushing his way through to run over to them. Yrka, her left arm wrapped in bandages and secured at her side with a sling, put her other arm around Garrett as Tarrol made his way over to them, nearly crying with relief.

As his father gathered them all into his arms, Markin felt like crying himself. So much had happened to them, and they still weren't home yet, but they were all back together, and that was good enough for now.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I do believe there's going to be a sprawling epic battle in the near future... ;)<p>

Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!


	29. Now Drawn is the Blade

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* * *

><p><strong>Twenty-Nine<strong>  
>(Now Drawn is the Blade)<p>

Han stepped back from directing the stream of refugees as his comlink buzzed. "_General Solo, we've found something you might want to see,_" said Major Kemerin, one of the Republic officers helping to organize the temporary camp on Ziost.

"What is it?" Han asked.

"_It's a… body, sir."_

"There's a lot of dead bodies around here," Han said irritably. "What's so special about this one?"

"_You'd better see for yourself, sir._"

Han sighed. "Fine, I'm on my way." He turned to his Wookiee companion. "Come on, Chewie."

[…]

"All right, what's this stiff that's got you all so agitated?" Han demanded as he walked down a narrow alleyway between two of the ice-covered stone buildings, looking at the cluster of Republic soldiers and Phoenix Fleet stormtroopers gathered at the other end.

Major Kemerin wordlessly stepped aside, revealing a dead body that was definitely not Yuuzhan Vong.

Sprawled in the snow stained with his blood was a man, human or near-human, dressed in a flowing black robe and some sort of uniform made mostly of leather, decorated with studs made of some silvery material arranged in arcane sigils. The man's bald head and hands were completely covered in red and black tattoos in angular, sinister patterns; Han thought perhaps the skin might have been red and the tattoos black, but he wasn't sure. Most telling were the dead man's eyes, open and sightless, yellow with red rims.

"He had this in his hand," Kemerin said, handing Han a lightsaber.

Han turned the hilt over until he found the activation plate, then pressed it. With a loud _snap-hiss_ that echoed from the stone walls of the alleyway, a blood-red blade sprang out of the hilt.

"A Sith," Han said grimly, looking down at the corpse again as he let the blade go out. "Or someone who thought he was. Did you guys kill him?"

"No, sir," Kemerin replied. "He was dead when we found him. Looks like amphistaff wounds to me."

Chewbacca barked a comment, and Han nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we haven't seen any in a few years, but just 'cause the Sith have been quiet lately doesn't mean they're gone." He looked over at Kemerin. "A few of Vader's old Sith are still unaccounted for," he explained. "Isard and Pestage killed most of them, some joined the Jedi, but some just disappeared, and we don't know where they went."

"This was the capital of one of the old Sith empires, wasn't it?" Kemerin asked. "He might have been looking for some ancient artifact or something here."

"If he was already here when the Vong got here, he might have friends around," said Han. "Send out an alert: be on the lookout for more. I hope it was just this one, and he was just here looking for something like you said, but if they're here to hassle the refugees, I want to be ready for them."

Kemerin nodded. "Yes, General."

As he walked off, Han sighed again. "This just keeps getting better and better," he remarked sourly to Chewbacca. "Vong, cultists, Vader… It figures the Sith would show up to join the party. Y'know, 'cause things weren't bad enough already."

Chewbacca's long-suffering grumble perfectly summed up Han's feelings on the whole situation.

* * *

><p>Jenn stretched out into the Force, seeking after the peculiar sensation of the Burned within it. She took a deep breath, concentrating on what she had felt when the cultist who had attacked Anakin had in turn attacked her. As previously described by other Jedi and her own impressions during Pyrron's attack, the Burned's use of the Force was neither Dark Side nor Light Side, nor was it a mixture of both like Darth Vader and others who followed his philosophy. No, it was something… else, frustratingly indistinct.<p>

She felt something, like seeing a dim light from a very great distance or only barely being able to brush something with her fingertips, and struggled to control her frustration and irritation at being unable to clarify things further. It was not that what she sensed was deliberately concealing itself, it was more like she simply couldn't focus on it well enough.

Finally, Jenn relented and let go, bringing herself back to the meditation room in the Jedi Temple. She opened her eyes, glancing around at the others gathered here: Revan, Corran, the boys, and Luke Skywalker, who had been observing as the four of them tried to use their odd unique link with the fire cult.

"I just couldn't get a good fix on it," she said apologetically.

"No, it's all right," said Luke. "I still learned something from it. When the four of you were trying, your sense in the Force altered slightly: you felt similar to the Burned Ones I've sensed, yet not the same, exactly." He frowned in puzzlement. "I'm having a hard time finding ways to describe it; it's unlike anything I've ever felt through the Force before." He gestured to her. "Now that you're not trying anymore, you feel the same as you always have."

"So," Revan said, placing his hands on his knees, "what are the advantages of this? The four of you at least are more sensitive to the Burned; you can sense them more clearly than other Jedi, which is obviously useful for detecting their agents."

"Yeah, but there are only four of us," Corran said. "Even if we split up, we can't be in enough places to really defend against any more attacks, and even then, we don't really understand this link. What if it's also a vulnerability?"

"That cultist's fire didn't hurt me," said Anakin. "All I had to do was concentrate on shielding myself, and it didn't even touch me."

"That was just one cultist," Corran reminded his apprentice. "There's no guarantee that would work against Pyrron himself."

"Especially since his powers are amplified by his Star Forge now," said Ben. "I felt almost like I could sense it, and him, like they were a bright spot I could just barely see. I don't think he could see me, though."

Anakin turned to Revan. "Maybe this would work better if we tried it on your Star Forge," he said.

"Perhaps," Revan said. "But I warn you, that place is still strong with the Dark Side. You will have to stay on your guard while you're there."

Jenn noticed a thoughtful look on Ben's face, but he said nothing. She was about to ask him what he was thinking when Revan's comlink buzzed.

"_Master Revan, this is Bollux,_" the old labor droid said when he answered it. "_Max and I are in the temple hangar performing maintenance, and we have just noticed_ _your fighter is registering an incoming call on its comm."_

"Put it through," said Revan.

"_Piece of ryshcate,"_ Blue Max replied cheerfully. "_Now if I can just figure out where the kriffing computer port is on this karking thing…" _he grumbled. "_Found it. Patching through now."_

"Only your father would teach a droid to swear," Corran said, amused.

"Hey, don't blame Dad," Anakin put in. "According to him, he tried to put a stop to it."

"Han Solo, moral guardian," Corran said dryly. "Next you'll tell me Chewbacca owns a barbershop."

"_Greeting: Master Revan, this is HK-47 reporting as requested,_" the assassin droid said, his voice slightly distorted with static. "_Report: Many of Darth Vader's Vanguard Fleet ships and Chiss vessels have arrived, and I have allowed them to begin transferring personnel onto the station as you directed. Our patrols have not yet spotted any Yuuzhan Vong ships, but the Chiss commanders assure me that Vong scouts are searching for this system._"

"Keep the factories on track," said Revan. "Jenn and I will be there with some other Jedi shortly."

"_Delighted Reply: Why Master, does this mean I and my YVHK droids will shortly be able to engage in large-scale slaughter of the Vong meatbags as I have been waiting to do for an excessively long period of time?_"

Jenn looked over at Revan and shook her head silently, wryly amused.

Revan shrugged in equal silence. "Just guard the station, HK," he said. "Try not to start any battles without me."

"_Reluctant Acknowledgment: If you insist, Master. HK-47 out."_

"So, who wants to go with us?" Revan asked. "The conference isn't over yet, so most of the Council should probably stay here."

"This is a crisis, and crisis takes priority over anything like this," Luke said. "I'm going; finding a way to defeat Pyrron is now my personal mission. Leia can look after things here."

"How come you always make my mom stay here and deal with the politicians?" Anakin complained.

Corran smirked. "Because only she can put up with them without turning to the Dark Side," he joked.

Anakin chuckled. "You're probably right."

"I think we should go with you, too," Ben said suddenly, his expression unusually serious. "I… feel like we need to be there."

Luke nodded once. "Your mother is already on her way there with Han, Jacen and Vader. The _Phoenix_ pulled in its ships and left orbit an hour ago; hopefully they'll be enough reinforcements."

Jenn flipped her comlink open. "Bollux, get the _Hawk_ ready to go."

* * *

><p>The <em>Millennium Falcon<em> arrived at Arctriel only minutes before the Yuuzhan Vong.

After receiving clearance from the patrolling _Eclipse-_class vessel _Judgment_, they headed down to the small cold moon orbiting the immense ringed gas giant. On the way, the long-range sensors bleeped, detecting hyperspace activity.

"No transponders," Jaina's father observed. "That's never a good sign."

Moments later the comm buzzed, and Chewbacca reached over to answer it. The head and shoulders of a gray-uniformed human Imperial officer appeared in the small screen. "Millennium Falcon,_ this is Captain Tasia Vorlcan of the _Judgment," she said. "_We've detected a large Yuuzhan Vong fleet dropping out of hyperspace on the edge of the system. We're calling for reinforcements, but from our estimates of their numbers, it appears we may have to retreat. Prepare the outpost's personnel for evacuation."_

"You got it," Han replied. "_Falcon_ out." He looked over at Chewbacca. "Either this place is bad luck, or we are," he remarked. "Every time we come here, Vong show up."

Chewie growled back an annoyed comment.

Han let out a wry chuckle. "Well, if it comes to that, at least we have our star pilot with us," he said with a glance back at Jaina.

"That's right, old timer, you just sit back in your rocking chair and let me take care of it," she teased.

"Oh, get out of here," he said irascibly, though he was obviously fighting back a grin.

She laughed as she left the cockpit.

[…]

Once they touched down at the temple complex on Arctriel's frozen moon, however, Jaina was all business. She marched down the _Falcon_'s boarding ramp in full armor, using her helmet's built-in loudspeaker to project her voice.

"Okay, people, the Vong are on their way down here right now! Pack it up! Move, move!" She gestured to the various scientists, technicians, and soldiers gathered in the landing area beneath the domed energy shield protecting the complex. "Only what you absolutely cannot leave behind! If it can be replaced, it stays here!"

She recognized Danni Quee as the young woman pushed her way through the crowd. "Jaina?" she said curiously.

Jaina opened her visor. "Hey, Danni. How long are you going to need to get things packed up here?"

"At least half an hour," the scientist replied. "Some of our instruments are very delicate. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I think I know why the Vong keep attacking this place. When your uncle's group brought back their Star Forge, it registered in the computers here."

"The Vong don't know where Lehon is, exactly, and they came here to get its location," Jaina said as it dawned on her.

Danni nodded. "That's what I think. They lost control of their Star Forge out in the dwarf companion galaxy around the same time ours was brought back. And speaking of that, after looking around in the Rakatan computers here, I think I've found something interesting."

"Can it wait until we're out of here?" Jaina said. "I want to get everyone evacuated before the Vong troops start landing."

"All right," said Danni. "But come with me first; we can seal off the computer room the way it was when we first got here, and it's possible the Vong won't find it."

"From the scouting reports, the Vong are bound to find Lehon soon anyway, but at least we can slow them down a little," Jaina agreed. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>In the <em>Falcon<em>'s cockpit, Han gave his chair to Jacen as his son activated the subspace comm. "Admiral Downes," Jacen greeted the middle-aged human man who answered. "Divert the _Nemesis_ group to Arctriel; we're going to need reinforcements to cover our retreat."

"_Shall I send for the _Phoenix_, sir?"_ Downes asked.

Jacen shook his head. "No, it would take too much time to get here. Tell Admiral Kellig to keep it on course for Lehon, and if he gets there before I do, concentrate on defending the Star Forge."

"_Yes, Commander. I will arrive at your position shortly."_

"Solo out."

The comm buzzed again, and Jacen answered it.

"Falcon, _this is _Judgment_,_" Captain Vorlcan said, her voice heavily distorted with static and nearly overwhelmed by whooping alarms in the background. "_We're taking heavy fire; Vong ships are slipping through our lines, and are on their way to you. Be prepared for ground assault."_

"Acknowledged, _Judgment,_" Han replied. "Commander Solo has summoned reinforcements, and they should be here soon."

"_We could use them! _Judgment_ out."_

A flash from above attracted Han's attention, and he looked up to see bright fiery globules splattering over the domed energy shield. Above that, he could see the tiny moving specks launching the assault.

"They're going to keep bombarding the shield so we won't turn it off," Han observed. "We can't risk taking off through this, so we have to sit here while they send down their ground assault." He sighed in frustration. "What I wouldn't give for a few anti-air guns."

"We just have to hold them off until Downes arrives," Jacen said, standing.

Chewbacca whined an anxious comment, pointing to their sensor readings.

Han's eyes narrowed as he examined the numbers. "What kind of firepower is this admiral of yours bringing?"

"The _Nemesis_ is a Super Star Destroyer," Jacen answered, "and its task force is eight _Imperial-_class Star Destroyers and sixteen _Victory_-class frigates, with around a thousand fighters, bombers, and other support craft between them."

Chewbacca barked a summary of the sensor readings, which indicated much greater Vong numbers than that.

"_How_ many?" Han exclaimed incredulously. "That's gotta be most of their entire fleet!"

Jacen's face took on a calculating expression. "The Vong must be desperate," he said thoughtfully. "They're going to hit our Star Forge with everything they've got, and this is the first stop on the way there. We need to get as many ships as we can to Lehon right now."

Han paused. "Unless that's exactly what they want us to do."

"What do you mean?" Jacen asked, looking back at him.

"Think about it," Han said, gesturing to the flashes overhead. "It's hard to get in and out of the Unknown Regions from the main galaxy, and that goes double for large fleets. They're throwing this huge fleet at Lehon so we'll rush all our ships in to defend it. What if they have other battle groups standing by to attack the positions we have to leave undefended?"

"We can't lose our Star Forge," Jacen said in counter-point. "Pyrron is out in Companion Grek making ships and cloning crews to run them just as fast as he can. The only way we can hope to match those numbers is with a Star Forge of our own."

"Which is why we need to take out Pyrron's Star Forge as soon as possible," Han replied. "Send your _Phoenix_ to Belkadan instead, and get it started plotting a course out to Grek."

"Dad, we're going to need the _Phoenix_ at Lehon," Jacen said, taken aback. "How else are we going to repel the Vong fleet?"

"Look," Han said, reaching out to place his hand on his son's shoulder. "You say you're this military leader now. Well, these are the kind of decisions commanders have to make. You've gotta see all the factors here and see which move is best for the long run. The _Phoenix_ is slower than a bantha with two broken legs; the sooner we set it on course for Companion Grek, the sooner it'll get there. We can catch up to it later with the other ships we're going to need to take on the fire cult."

"We need to hit him as soon as possible," Jacen agreed. "Before his fleets can get to the main galaxy." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right," he said finally. "We'll just have to risk defending Lehon with the ships we have. Hopefully I can get to Kellig through all this interference," he said, turning back to the comm.

Despite the situation and his earlier concerns, Han felt a swell of pride for his son, and he felt a bittersweet smile cross his face. Wordlessly, he patted Jacen's shoulder one more time and left him to his work.

* * *

><p>"We have a report of a distress call from the garrison at Arctriel," Luke said as he walked into the <em>Argent Hawk<em>'s main hold from the cockpit. "A copy was relayed to us at our last jump point. We now have a decision."

He looked around at the other Jedi gathered in the hold: Jenn, Revan, his children, nephew Anakin, and Corran Horn.

"At our next jump point, we can either proceed to Lehon as quickly as we can," Luke went on, "or we can divert to Arctriel and help cover the evacuation there. Reports indicate that the Vong have sent a tremendous fleet, and the _Judgment_ can't hold out for long."

"Could we really get there in time to do any good?" Revan asked. "This ship has a specially modified hyperdrive, but it will still take us hours to get there. The Arctriel garrison will be trying to evacuate as quickly as possible; what they need is firepower to cover their liftoff, not help with ground defense. If they still haven't taken off by the time we get there," he said pragmatically, "they're not taking off at all."

Luke weighed this. Mara, Jacen, Qeris, Jaina, and Han were at Arctriel, and part of him wanted to go and help them, but he also knew he would be needed at Lehon to help prepare the defense of their Star Forge. Revan was right; at best, they would get there only in time to help cover the retreat, and the _Hawk_ was built for speed, not firepower.

"All right," he said. "We maintain course for Lehon. May the Force be with them."

* * *

><p>An explosion nearby rocked the bridge of the <em>Judgment<em>. Captain Tasia Vorlcan barely managed to keep her footing on the command walkway, reaching out to grab her first officer's arm as he started to topple into the portside crew pit.

"How long until we can fire the main weapon again?" Tasia asked the fire-control officer, steadying Commander Oberin next to her.

"Three minutes!" the lieutenant replied.

"More of them are arriving all the time," Oberin observed grimly. "We can't hold them all off by ourselves."

"Forward port batteries, target that frigate!" Tasia ordered, pointing to a Yuuzhan Vong vessel on its way past them to the frozen moon that hosted the outpost they defended.

Privately, Tasia wished Thrawn was still with them; he'd spent a six-month tour aboard this ship before bringing its task force to Arctriel in pursuit of the Vong fleet which had attacked it the last time General Solo had come here. Then he had transferred back to the _Executor_ and left her here to defend the outpost from further attacks, later diverting the rest of the task force back to their other bases in the area. But, there was nothing to be done about it; Thrawn was light-years away, on his way to Lehon aboard the _Executor_.

"What's the status on the evacuation?" she asked the comm officer.

"They're pinned down," he replied. "The Vong are bombarding the shield, keeping them from taking off."

Tasia paused for a moment, thinking. "Helm, pull us back within turbolaser range of the moon; we need to take out those ships firing on the shield. Fire control, target main weapon on that cluster," she brought up the group on her command board, "and fire when ready."

"Captain, hyperspace activity!" the sensor officer reported. "Incoming contacts."

"Our reinforcements?" Tasia asked.

"Negative," the sensor officer said. "More hostiles."

"Damn," Oberin muttered.

"Fighter control, divert squadrons Three and Six to the moon," Tasia ordered. "We need those ships taken out _now_."

* * *

><p>Mara and Qeris jogged through the cold stone corridors of the ancient Rakatan temple, headed for the computer room deep inside. Even through all the stone and ice overhead, Mara could hear the dull thumps of the bombardment hitting the shield and the ground around it.<p>

"_Vong troops have landed!"_ someone announced over the recently-installed intercom. "_Perimeter breach imminent!_"

Mara shared a brief glance with Qeris, and by silent agreement they increased their speed. Within moments they arrived at the hallway leading to the computer room to find Jaina and Danni Quee heading inside.

"We've got an idea," Jaina said without preamble as Mara and Qeris caught up to them.

"We set the Generator to overload and destroy the temple," Danni went on, heading for the large curved console at the back of the room.

"Considering the power harnessed by the Generator," Qeris pointed out, "it is likely such an overload would destroy the entire moon, not just the temple."

"So much the better," Danni said grimly. "Maybe it'll take some of this Vong fleet with it."

"Wait a minute," said Jaina. "How big of a fleet are we talking about?"

"Just about everything they've got, it looks like," Mara said. "There's no way we can hold them off for long, even with those reinforcements your brother sent for."

"And those are still almost half an hour out," Jacen said as he entered the computer room. "What's the plan?"

"We destroy the moon with the Generator, and hopefully take some Vong with it," Jaina said.

"Not much else we can do," he agreed. "Any way to do this by remote?"

"No," said Danni. "Rakatan computers are resistant to working with anything but Rakata tech. We'll have to start the overload from here and then take off as soon as we can."

"How long would we have?" Mara asked.

Danni sighed, gesturing at the computer. "I don't know. It could be anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. There wouldn't be any way to stop the overload cycle once it starts, though, so we don't have to worry about the Vong shutting it down."

Jacen pulled out his comlink. "Dad, do you think you can get us through that blockade?"

"_Not with the _Falcon_ as loaded down as she is,"_ Han replied. "_With all these people, we're carrying too much extra weight. We'd need things a little clearer up there to maneuver."_ He paused. "_And before you ask, I went ahead and scrapped the plan to use that outpost shuttle; that thing has the maneuverability of a drunken Hutt. It'd never make it out of the atmosphere with all those skips buzzing around. We're loading everyone on the _Falcon._"_

"Good idea," said Jacen. "We'll just have to hope the _Judgment_ can make a big enough hole. Keep the path clear for us; we'll be there in a few minutes."

Echoes of guttural shouting reached them from somewhere down the corridor, accompanied by screaming and blaster-fire.

"We have no choice," said Mara, looking over at Danni. "Set the overload now; we'll cover you." She drew and ignited her magenta lightsaber, taking up position at one side of the corridor. "Form a line," she said to the others. "Nothing gets through."

In short order, her lightsaber was joined by the electric-violet, emerald, and silver blades of the others. Mara saw Jacen looking around the corridor, and a moment later he turned and slashed his lightsaber through the base of one of the statues.

"Cut it up and throw the pieces over the floor!" he said as he caught the toppling statue with the Force.

He and Qeris made quick work of the statue while Mara and Jaina turned their blades on the other on the opposite wall. Just as they finished throwing the jagged chunks of stone down the corridor, a dozen armored Yuuzhan Vong warriors charged in from the other end, waving their amphistaffs and screaming battle cries.

The rubble slowed the Vong down, and when they finally arrived at the line, Mara and the others were ready for them. Mara met the first warrior with a two-handed stab at the gap in his armor at the base of his throat, then pushed the corpse back at two more of his comrades who came up behind him.

Jaina cut down another, sweeping her blade out a moment later to catch a razor bug headed for her brother. "Duck and cover!" she shouted, her voice mechanically distorted by her helmet.

Mara turned away as Jaina used a grenade launcher mounted to her left gauntlet. With a bright flash and deafening blast, a cluster of warriors down the corridor disappeared in a cloud of rubble. The Vong closer to them were stunned by the blast, and Mara took full advantage, sweeping through with her blade flashing.

Nearby, Jacen locked his lightsaber on and hurled it down the corridor in a scything spin, adjusting its course with a nudge of his power to send it sweeping through as many Vong as possible. Qeris spun and dodged through her opponents with fluid grace, sending her cloak fluttering up to obscure one warrior's vision a moment before she followed through with a stab into his exposed armpit.

"It's not working!" Danni shouted from somewhere behind them. "The computer won't let me start the overload!"

"Leave it!" Mara shouted over her shoulder. "Let's just get out of here!"

Jacen pointed up at the ceiling. "Jaina, help me bring it down!"

Mara moved closer to Qeris, and together they kept the Vong back while Jacen and Jaina joined their powers. With a series of loud staccato cracking noises, a spider-web of fractures appeared in the ceiling overhead, joined by the deep groaning of distressed stone.

With a thunderous crash, the ceiling caved in between them and the Vong, kicking up a choking cloud of stone dust and snow. Jacen and Jaina paused for a moment to help Mara and Qeris finish off the few warriors that had remained on their side of the blockage, then as a group they hurried off through the corridors.

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on!" Han shouted from the <em>Falcon<em>'s boarding ramp to the five as they sprinted into the landing area. "The fighters are making a hole in the blockade, and it ain't staying open for long!"

Once the last of them was aboard, he hit the ramp controls, then turned and ran up to the cockpit. "Go, go, go!" he called ahead to Chewbacca as he ran. "Turn off the shield and gun it as soon as we're clear!"

Han felt his ship lifting free of the ground, and stumbled into the wall as the _Falcon _rocked. From the sound and the angle of the jolt, Han knew it hadn't been a direct hit on them but merely a concussion from a blast nearby. They were unlikely to remain that lucky for long, though.

Chewbacca howled with fierce glee as Han entered the cockpit, and the Corellian had to brace himself against the doorframe as the _Falcon _surged ahead with wild acceleration. Finally, the inertial compensators caught up, and Han jumped into his chair, slapping the intercom with one hand. "Red, Jaina, turrets!" he ordered tersely.

"_Already there,"_ Mara transmitted back from the dorsal turret. A moment later, bright flashes of red fire leaped out at the flight of coralskippers pursuing them away from the temple.

Overhead, the _Judgment_ and its fighters were putting up a valiant fight against the ever-increasing Vong numbers, but it was clear they wouldn't last long.

"All right, just like last time," Han said to Chewie. "We slingshot around the moon and get clear as quick as we can! Get the navicomputer started as soon as we clear atmo."

* * *

><p>"Shields are offline!" a crewman shouted across the <em>Judgment<em>'s bridge.

Moments later, yet another explosion rocked the warship, and Tasia had to brace herself against a bulkhead.

"Hyperdrive is offline!" another crewman reported. "The Chief Engineer is evacuating main engineering due to a radiation leak!" He looked back at his monitors, then back up at her. "Main engines are down to thirty percent power."

"Damn!" Oberin swore next to the captain. "We're stuck here."

Tasia knew what had to be done. With grim dignity, she stiffened her posture into military rigidity and straightened her uniform. She reached out to her command board and toggled the intercom to ship-wide. "All hands, this is the captain. Abandon ship, repeat, abandon ship." She turned off the intercom and turned to her bridge crew, most of whom were staring up at her expectantly. "That includes you, too," she said. "Give my station emergency control."

"Captain?" Oberin asked.

"I'm going to fire the main weapon into that Generator and destroy this moon, hopefully taking some of those Vong with me," Tasia replied. "If you launch now, you have a good chance of getting far enough away to micro-jump to the edge of the system. The _Nemesis_ group will be here to pick you up soon."

Oberin stiffened, meeting her eyes determinedly. "You can't do it alone, Captain. I'm with you."

Tasia could see he would not be persuaded otherwise. "Very well, Commander. Take the helm. I shall take fire control." As she started toward the crew pit, she looked sharply at the rest of the bridge crew, who were also not moving.

"We're with you, Captain," Mordok, the helmsman, said calmly. The fire-control officer beside him nodded with equal calm.

Tasia looked around at her bridge crew, seeing the loyalty and determination in their eyes. She nodded crisply, then crossed back to her command chair and calmly took her seat. "It's been an honor to serve with you all," she said, fighting to keep her voice from cracking. She took a deep breath, brought herself back under control, and began issuing orders.

"Fire control, set the auto-turrets to cover the escape pods. Divert all available power to the main weapon. Helm, bring us closer to the moon. Once the _Millennium Falcon_ and the escape craft are clear, bring us straight down onto that temple."

"Yes, Captain," Mordok said, turning back to his station.

Around them, the Vong swarmed like hungry predators, firing mercilessly into their now unprotected hull. Explosions bloomed out like fiery flowers along the length of the warship's hull, but still they pressed on.

"That's right, you bastards!" Oberin said fiercely. "Come closer!"

As if summoned by his words, more and more Vong warships surged towards them, all wanting a piece of the kill. There were so many of them out there, so many they seemed to fill all the space between the stars. The entire ship rocked constantly, losing pieces every second, but still they pressed on.

"For the Empire!" Oberin shouted as they began to descend into the atmosphere.

"For the galaxy," Tasia whispered as the forward viewports filled with flame, and still they pressed on.

* * *

><p>Like a great black blade fresh from the forge, its tip glowing orange, the <em>Judgment<em> plunged down through the thin atmosphere of Arctriel's moon. Green fire flared from its prow, stabbing down into the ancient stone temple complex.

Flame erupted, small at first, but growing ever greater as the irreparably damaged Generator began to boil the moon's core into a molten fury. The warship's superlaser continued to stab down relentlessly, putting all its destructive power into one final blast.

Trailing fire, smoke and debris, glowing like a nova, the _Judgment_ slammed into the surface of the moon in a mortal blow.

As the _Judgment_'s hyper-capable escape vessels leaped in a limited micro-jump to the edge of the system and the _Millennium Falcon_ soared away, Arctriel's moon exploded into a starburst of fire and dust, consuming the Vong warships that had chased the dreadnought to its death.

From the edge of the system, Qeris looked at the now-distant explosion through the cockpit viewports of the _Falcon_ alongside Jacen, his father, and Chewbacca.

Slowly, she raised her hand to her brow in salute.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Next, the battle for the Star Forge begins. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	30. The Hammer Comes Down

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty<strong>  
>(The Hammer Comes Down)<p>

The mood in the _Millennium Falcon_ as it flew through hyperspace to Lehon was somber. They'd spent a tense few hours helping the _Nemesis_ group retrieve the _Judgment_'s life-pods, fighting off the occasional Vong foray prowling the edges of the system, but now they had nothing to do as their ship traversed the distance to their next destination.

A few hours into the journey, Han Solo sat in one of the chairs beside the computer console in the main hold, idly drumming his fingers on his knee. He looked up as Jaina walked in, noting her weary expression.

"I'm sick of this war," she said, pushing the sleeves of her dark gray fatigues up to her elbows. "I don't know how you and Mom got through the one you fought when you were my age."

"When I was your age, I was just about to graduate from the Naval Academy on Carida," Han said. "But even then we figured there'd be war with the Rebellion before long."

Jaina sat down in the other chair next to the console. "If you hadn't been discharged from the Navy, would you have fought for the Empire?"

Han paused, thinking about this. "I don't know," he admitted. "I probably would have resigned or just deserted sooner or later, to tell you the truth. I joined the Navy because I was young and stupid and wanted to fight for 'the good guys', but it didn't take me long to figure out that certainly wasn't the Empire."

"Has Jacen talked to you about what happened to him?" Jaina asked, surprising Han with the sudden change of subject.

He nodded. "A little. Leia's told me some of what he told her. It's… it's hard to deal with being tortured," he said, subdued. "But what he went through… That was worse than anything I ever got." Then it dawned on him. "She said something about my, uh, what do you call it, counterpart, being there. That he was a Grand Admiral."

"I can't even imagine that," Jaina said. "I mean, you're a general, and I've seen you in uniform plenty of times, but I still can't see you as an Imperial officer."

Han shrugged. "The only reason I'm still in the Republic military is because your mother won't let me go back to smuggling," he said jokingly. He sobered. "But it's… strange, thinking I could have ended up like that. I don't think I'd want to live in that world."

"Me, neither," Jaina said softly, looking down. "This one's bad enough sometimes."

* * *

><p>"You've certainly been busy," Jenn remarked to Revan as the <em>Argent Hawk<em> approached the huge gray shape of the Star Forge at Lehon.

Spread out around the massive station was an immense fleet of Imperial-style warships, along with other ship designs Jenn recognized from their own time. She counted at least nine black _Eclipse_-class vessels and a dozen cobalt Super Star Destroyers, along with hundreds of smaller gray Imperial Star Destroyers, frigates, and probably tens of thousands of fighters and other support craft.

And still more poured out of the immense stellar factory every day. Though she knew these ships would be fighting for their side, Jenn still felt a slight shudder pass through her at the sight of so many warships all in one place.

"The problem is finding crews for them," Revan said. "I've automated as many systems as I can to reduce the number of essential crewmen, but we're still going to need hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions. We barely have enough for skeleton crews as it is."

"Hasn't Vader sent some of those cloning cylinders here?" she asked, looking over the console at him.

"He has," Revan replied, making an adjustment to the controls as they drew closer. "But, even with Thrawn's method of using ysalamiri to cut the clones off from the Force and speed up the process, they're still weeks away from being ready." He frowned. "I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of growing clone soldiers, but as we've all been saying a lot lately, desperate times call for desperate measures."

Jenn nodded, sighing. "I didn't think it was possible to be worse than the Mandalorians, but these Vong make them look positively civil. At least the Mandalorians knew when to give up."

"Well, now the Republic has some help," Revan said. He frowned again. "Or it will if the Senate finally ratifies the new treaty and lets the Imperial fleet across the border."

"They still haven't done that?!" Jenn exclaimed, astonished. "What are they waiting for?"

"According to the report I got from the HoloNet during our last recalculation," Revan answered, "it's that Bothan Senator, Fey'lya. Since we left, he's gotten the Senate all worked up by claiming this is a plot by Emperor Fel and Vader to position the Imperial fleet within the Republic. He says they're 'obviously' planning to take advantage of the war and re-conquer Republic space. The Chancellor and her supporters are doing their best to straighten things out, but Fey'lya's gaining ground, especially given the public outrage over Delta Red. There's a growing possibility the treaty could get voted down."

"Is he _brain-damaged_?!" Jenn gaped, unable to believe such stupidity. "Does he have _any_ idea what's going on out here?"

Revan glared out into space. "This is turning into the Mandalorian Wars all over again."

Jenn shook her head disgustedly. "Well, we're a long way away from the politicians here," she said after a moment. "We knew we probably weren't going to get Republic reinforcements for this battle, anyway."

"Emperor Fel has sent a few warships, and we have the Chiss," Revan said, briefly pointing to a large gathering of exotic-looking vessels near the Star Forge. "If the reports I've read are even half correct, they're some of the best allies we could hope for in an engagement like this."

Their comm pinged, and Revan answered it. "Argent Hawk,_ this is _Executor. _Lord Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn are aboard the station, and they request you to join them on the command level as soon as possible."_

"Tell them we're on our way," Revan said. "_Hawk_ out."

* * *

><p>Leia sighed as she leaned back in one of the chairs in her mother's office in the Royal Palace, massaging her temples with the fingers of one hand. She felt totally drained, both mentally and physically, as if even the Force could not wash away her weary frustration.<p>

"I know that sigh," her mother's voice said from the door. "I can't count how many times I've done it myself."

Leia lowered her hand to look up as Padmé and Winter walked in. Winter sat in one of the other embroidered chairs, and Padmé headed for her desk. Here, away from all the cameras and pundits watching through them, her mother finally relaxed and allowed her own weariness to show.

"What is wrong with him?" Leia asked half-rhetorically. "These new terms Fey'lya is trying to add to the treaty are only going to anger the Imperials and keep them from agreeing to it. What is he doing?"

"He wants to be Chancellor," Padmé replied tiredly as she sat down. "He's planning to run against me in the next election, so he's hoping to discredit me and my supporters. I wouldn't be surprised if he's deliberately trying to get the Imperials to reject the treaty so he can blame it on me somehow and call for a vote of no confidence. I've seen it happen before."

" 'Those who desire power are those least suited to wielding it'," Leia quoted. "There are days I'm very glad Jedi don't run for political office."

"Which is exactly why you would make an excellent Chancellor," Winter said with wry humor.

Leia scoffed lightly. "Being a Jedi Master is enough stress, thank you."

Winter's shoulders rose in a graceful shrug. "I wasn't exactly eager to get into politics, myself, but I could hardly refuse your mother's nomination."

"To quote my son-in-law," Padmé said with a wry smile of her own, "it's a rotten job, but someone has to do it." The door chimed, and she looked up at it. "Come in."

C-3PO walked in, looking between them briefly. "Ah, Mistress Leia, I thought I would find you here," he said. "We have received a communiqué from Master Han. He reports that the outpost at Arctriel has been attacked, and that the warship stationed there, the _Judgment,_ has been destroyed, along with the moon and almost one-third of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet that had gathered in the system. It all sounds rather frightful, if you ask me. I am glad we are here safely away from all that."

"Did he say anything else?" Leia asked.

"He said they have arrived at the Lehon system and are preparing the fortifications there," Threepio went on. "He expects there will be a rather large battle there soon, and requests that you go there as quickly as possible so that you might aid them with your specially trained skills."

Leia hid a smile; all Han had probably said was, "Get here as quick as you can, 'cause we could use your help."

"Even if you leave now, it's still going to take you quite a while to get there," Padmé said.

"You think I should go?" Leia asked, surprised.

Her mother nodded. "I need you here, but they need you more," she said. "I was afraid the fighting was going to cut the conference short anyway, but things are stirring up sooner than I had expected."

"The conference would have been over days ago if not for Fey'lya," Leia said sourly. She turned back to Threepio. "Is Luke's X-wing still in the Temple hangar?"

"I believe so," he replied. "Shall I tell Artoo to start getting it ready?"

"Yes," Leia said, standing. "I want to take off as soon as I get there."

"Right away, Mistress Leia," Threepio said, and hurried off.

"May the Force be with you," Padmé said as Leia headed for the door a few steps after him.

Leia paused and looked back at her. "And with you."

* * *

><p>As Jaina and Mara walked through the dim gray corridors of the Star Forge beside Jacen and Qeris, Jaina paused as she heard what sounded like distant marching feet.<p>

_Many_ distant marching feet.

She was about to ask the others if they heard it, as well, when the sound of marching grew louder, and ahead of them, the tall rust-red shape of HK-47 appeared around the corner at the head of approximately three dozen YVHK droids. The huge, menacing war droids, all of them well over two meters tall, were shaped roughly like armored Yuuzhan Vong warriors, complete with spines on their joints. Angled yellow photoreceptors gleamed in skull-like heads above grinning metal teeth. As they spotted the four of them, all the droids looked over at them in disturbing unison, their joints clicking and whirring as some of them surreptitiously activated weapons.

"Command: Stand down," HK-47 said, looking back at the war droids. "Addendum: These meatbags are authorized; add them to your database of restricted targets."

"Acknowledgment," the YVHK droids said in unison, their voices deep and mechanical.

"Restricted targets?" Mara asked suspiciously.

HK swiveled his head toward her. "Explanation: Meatbags they may not fire upon, Master Jade Skywalker."

Mara seemed about to say something, but after a moment just waved dismissively instead. "On second thought, I'd rather not hear more about that. Keep going with your patrol."

"Command: Company, march!" HK-47 said, and the droids set off again, stomping loudly down the corridor past them.

"These are what will be crewing most of the ships built here?" Qeris asked, watching them leave.

"I think so," Jacen replied. "The ones that were built on the _Executor_ have been deployed in a few battles, I believe."

"They have, though I haven't seen them in action yet," said Jaina. She frowned. "I have seen some of the messes they've left behind, though. They seem to be quite effective."

Mara mirrored her frown. "Yes, Vader has been deploying a lot of 'effective' weapons lately."

They reached a turbolift, and a few minutes later entered the command level, emerging into an enormous circular room with a gigantic holoprojector in the center, which was currently displaying a map of the system and the various warships gathered in it.

Darth Vader was there in full armor along with Grand Admiral Thrawn, Thrawn's aide, - a young female of his species in a gray Imperial uniform - and Danni Quee. Also there were Revan, Jenn, and Luke, who smiled at them as they approached.

Jaina heard the end of a conversation between Vader and Thrawn as her group walked over to them.

"I recommend posthumous commendations for all who remained aboard the _Judgment,_" Thrawn was saying. "According to Downes' estimates, the destruction of Arctriel's moon eliminated nearly a third of the Yuuzhan Vong ships in the system."

"Vorlcan was a good officer," Vader said, his basso mechanical rumble echoing slightly in the large room. "Not a traitor like her aunt. I'll see to the arrangements personally." He looked up as he saw them approaching. "We have a problem," he announced without preamble. He gestured to Danni. "It seems the second Star Forge has a shield. Ours does not."

"What kind of shield?" Jacen asked.

"According to the schematics I was able to access," Danni replied, "it seems to be more or less a conventional energy shield, although several orders of magnitude stronger than anything I've ever seen. It's powered the same way the rest of the Star Forge is, by converting plasma drawn directly from a sun, so it's also inexhaustible."

"Why didn't the Vong use it when they had the station, then?" Jenn asked. "If it's that powerful, even ramming a warship into it wouldn't have done anything."

"I don't think they knew about it," Danni said. "I was able to access some of the computer logs on the second Star Forge through my console, and though I didn't get much, it seems to me that the Vong never got that station working at anywhere near full capacity. They don't seem to have been able to get it to cooperate with them very well, if that makes any sense." She frowned, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Those old Rakatan computers can be really difficult to work with sometimes. I think the only reason I was able to do so much with the one at Arctriel was because Revan unlocked it for me. It seemed to respond to him."

"They're partially intelligent," Revan said. "There are ways of getting around their safeguards, but as you said, they can make things very difficult for unauthorized users."

"Anyway," Danni went on, "Pyrron seems to have turned the shield on, because shortly after he took over the second Star Forge, my console lost all contact with it, and I haven't been able to link up to it since."

"That's going to be a problem when we go out there to destroy it," Jaina said.

"I'm more interested in the problem we're about to have," said Mara. "You said this station doesn't have that shield?"

Danni nodded. "I don't think it ever did. I've been looking around in the computers here, and I haven't seen any mention of it."

"The original Star Forge I commanded didn't have one," said Revan, "and this is an almost identical version of that station. It figures that the second Star Forge would have some differences; it may have been built later, as the Rakatan Empire was falling apart. They may have intended to use it as a fallback base, but lost the ability to control it like they did the rest of their technology. That all happened so long ago it's hard to say."

"So, we have no shield," Mara said, looking up at the huge tactical hologram. "Our only defenses are the fleet and whatever weapons are on this thing."

"My strategy accounts for that," Thrawn said, looking over at her. "I've been going over the schematics of the station with Revan, and we've pinpointed the areas on which we must focus our defense. According to the estimates of Admiral Downes, we are still outnumbered, but I am confident we can prevail."

"There is a substantial probability the station will be boarded by Vong troops," said Vader. "I will remain aboard to coordinate the interior defense. The Jedi and Imperial Knights will command battalions of droids and soldiers against any incursions." His death's-head mask turned to look at all of them. "Are there any questions?"

The comlink mounted on his belt buzzed just then, and he answered it. "_Lord Vader, our outer system patrols have encountered a group of Yuuzhan Vong scout vessels. Most were destroyed, but one got away."_

"Their fleet will be arriving soon, then," Vader rumbled grimly. "To your stations!"

* * *

><p>As always, it seemed, whether he wanted to or not, Han ended up right in the middle of the action. Waiting in the <em>Falcon<em>'s cockpit at the head of the formation of support craft around _Executor_, which was itself at the head of the larger formation, Han thought to himself that he hadn't seen so many warships in one place since the Battle of Naboo almost twenty-two years ago. He didn't even want to think about how much worse this battle was probably going to be.

Beside him, Chewbacca methodically moved through a last series of checks, grumbling to himself under his breath.

"How do we get ourselves into these messes?" Han wondered aloud.

The Wookiee barked a partially aggravated, partially teasing reply.

"Oh, come on!" Han objected in the same tone. "They haven't _all_ been my fault."

Chewie turned in his seat to fix Han with a silent stare.

"Okay, so maybe most of them have," the Corellian conceded. "But not all of them."

Chewie just grunted and went back to work.

Han toggled the intercom. "Boys, you ready?"

In the turrets, Ben and Anakin both transmitted back that they were. Now all that was left to do was wait. This was the worst part of a battle, Han thought; waiting for the enemy to show up, anticipating what was about to happen. The actual fighting was almost never as bad as he imagined.

Sometimes it was worse.

Han peered into the starry black expanse outside. "I think I can see them," he said, realizing some of the points of light were moving.

Sure enough, only moments later the moving specks resolved themselves into hundreds upon hundreds of Yuuzhan Vong worldships, warships, and other craft. A ring of Interdictors positioned some distance from the sun had kept the Vong from jumping into the system close to the Star Forge, giving the defending fleet slightly more time to prepare, but now they were here.

As it usually did, _Executor_ fired first, destroying the closest warship in the Vong formation. Han reflected that in some cases it was better to shoot first, as opposed to shooting second.

Once again, the _Falcon_ soared into battle.

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett monitored his command board, studying the enemy formation. There were so many of them!

"Main weapon recharging, sir," the fire-control officer reported. "Ready to fire again in five minutes."

"When it's ready, target that worldship in sector thirty-six," Piett ordered, indicating the tremendous galaxy-shaped coral vessel whose magma projectors were spitting fire into their own formation.

After almost twenty-five years of working together, it felt strange not to have Thrawn on _Executor_'s bridge during a battle, but the Grand Admiral was in the war room on the Star Forge, directing the battle from there. Piett was on his own here.

He switched his comm over to one of the squadron frequencies. "Blue Leader, the _Chimaera_ is taking heavy fire. Bring your squadron to sector forty-one and reinforce it_,_" he ordered.

"_Yes, Admiral_," Colonel Fel replied.

Piett's eyes roved over his command screen. "Fire control, direct batteries one-two-five through three-eight-six to target that Vong destroyer, maximum firepower."

A hail of green fire leaped from the cobalt titan out at the hulking coral warship and smashed into it with vicious force, rupturing its hull in several places.

On the general frequency, Piett heard Thrawn order the _Dauntless_ to stop another Vong ship from crossing the line. So far, their lines were holding and nothing had gotten past them, but Piett knew that wouldn't last for long.

Long minutes passed like hours, ships on both sides exploding around them, turbolaser fire and magma blasts flying back and forth. Chatter on the general frequency kept up a constant background hum amidst all the other noise, a steady stream of orders, requests for assistance, and even dying screams punctuating the busy hum in _Executor_'s bridge.

Outside, a Star Destroyer succumbed to sustained enemy fire and exploded. Swarms of fighters and the other ships around it rushed in to fill the gap, but the Vong took advantage of the opportunity and sent dozens of ships hurtling toward the slowly fading fireball.

One of the newly manufactured _Eclipse-_class ships fired its superlaser down into the approaching enemy vessels, destroying several, but still more poured through the breach like water through a bursting dam. The warships around the gap intensified their fire, but there were just too many, and more slipped through the line.

Reluctantly, Piett turned his attention back to the ships in front of him. This was in the plan, he reminded himself. Thrawn and Lord Vader were working together with the Jedi to defend the station; his job was to stay out here and destroy as many enemy ships as he could.

* * *

><p>"I <em>really<em> don't like this place," Ami Skywalker's voice said nearby.

In her seat off to one side in the war room, Jenn opened her eyes and looked over at the girl, who had just sat down on the metal bench next to her.

"The Dark Side is strong here," Jenn agreed.

"The closest way I can describe it is…" Ami paused, her expression twisting with distaste. "One time Master Kolos and I were chasing a criminal through an industrial district. We were running through a factory, and the catwalk gave way beneath me and I fell into this big tub of engine oil. I thought I was _never_ going to get it all off." She gestured vaguely. "The Dark Side feels like that here; oily, creeping, like it's soaking into my pores or something."

"The station was built with it," Jenn said. "Though Revan is doing his best to purge the Dark Side from this Star Forge, it was still originally built to be a weapon of conquest, and has been used as such many times. In a way, it _wants_ to be used to destroy."

Ami nodded slowly. "It's like there's this… pressure, on my mind, making it to where I can hardly think."

"I've been to many places that were very strong with the Dark Side," Jenn said. "Do you want to know how to deal with it? The trick is to keep breathing."

Ami's brows drew together in puzzlement. "Keep breathing?"

Jenn drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Concentrate on staying calm. Even in battle, you can keep yourself under control, keep the Dark Side from sneaking in and taking over. Remember that you are a Jedi; though you may sometimes have to use violence, you are not yourself violent. Your goal is to defend your allies, not to slaughter your enemies."

"That's what my dad says he did on Korriban and other dark places he's had to go," Ami said, gesturing to her father where he stood nearby conferring with Vader and Thrawn. "My mom says she still has trouble with it sometimes."

"Every Jedi does," said Jenn. "It's a constant struggle; not even Jedi Masters are immune. It's even more difficult in the heat of battle when emotions naturally run strong, but remember what I said: we are Jedi, instruments of defense, not weapons of war."

The immense holoprojector beeped, and Jenn looked up to see a number of flashing icons moving through their lines, headed for the station. "Here comes the first wave of boarding parties," she said as she stood.

"Can I come with you?" Ami asked. "My parents are going to be off doing their power couple thing, and to be honest they work better alone." She raised a hand to point at Jenn, a hint of stubbornness crossing her face. "And _don't_ tell me to stay here."

Jenn smiled lightly. "I hadn't planned on it." She let her smile fade as she studied the tactical hologram. "Looks like a few ships might land there, close to Corran's position. Let's go meet up with him."

* * *

><p>Qeris stood next to Jacen at the head of a company of Phoenix Fleet stormtroopers, her lightsaber held tightly in one hand but not yet activated. They and their soldiers were just outside one of the hangar bays where Yuuzhan Vong boarding craft had managed to land, waiting for the Vong to melt their way through the fused-shut door.<p>

"Steady," Jacen said, as the door bubbled and hissed, the sharp stench of the acid and melting metal and plastic stinging their nostrils.

The troopers' armor rattled and creaked as they tensed, gripping their weapons. They were arranged in two lines, one row crouching before the other, their weapons aimed at the rapidly disintegrating door.

"Steady," Jacen said again, and Qeris heard a loud _snap-hiss_ and saw a bright green flash out of the corner of her eye as he ignited his lightsaber.

She turned her head to look at him, and he met her gaze, an incongruous lopsided grin on his face, as if to say, '_We've been through worse; this is nothing.'_

Qeris ignited her lightsaber, and the silver blade flared into being with its own distinctive sound. She held the weapon upright in both hands, watching as the melting lines on the door raced up to meet each other in the center.

A heavy thump shook the door like a gong, and with a shriek of distressed metal, it peeled away from the frame and toppled inwards with a tremendous crash.

"Fire!" Jacen shouted, sweeping his lightsaber toward the door.

All fifty of the stormtroopers fired in unison, pouring searing plasma bolts into the smoking opening. Armored Vong warriors fell back under the assault, but more surged in to take their place, stepping over the bodies. They returned fire with a hail of thrown razor bugs, and Jacen and Qeris stepped in, lightsabers flashing, to deflect them. Despite their efforts, a few troopers collapsed with pained screams, but they pressed on.

Qeris used her lightsaber to block a sweeping horizontal slash from a warrior's amphistaff, then stepped back as he whirled his arm over his head, building momentum for another powerful blow. She angled her blade diagonally, caught the slash, then spun to the side, flipping the edge of her cloak up into his eyes with one arm.

As he tried to claw the fabric aside, Qeris jumped up, pushed off the nearby wall with one foot, and stabbed her blade down into the gap in his armor at the neck, pushing him forward with her momentum as she landed.

Another warrior leaped at her immediately, and she ducked under his opening strike, shifting her lightsaber into a reversed grip. He raised his weapon for a two-handed strike, as she had expected, and she moved faster, shifting to bring her lightsaber down in a backhanded stab into his exposed armpit.

Using her blade as a lever as she pulled it free, Qeris shoved the corpse into another Vong, who stumbled back. A flash of green light emerged from his throat, and he toppled forward in a heap to reveal Jacen.

By silent agreement, they moved to stand back to back, working in concert to hold the line. Fire flashed past all around them, some of it coming uncomfortably close, but to Qeris it was almost as if everything was moving slightly slower than normal, and she saw all dangers well in time to avoid them.

Through the Force, Jacen sent her a quick outline of a plan, and she agreed, reaching out to grasp his forearm as he grasped hers. They spun quickly, joining their powers to push Qeris high into the air as Jacen let go of her arm.

She came down spinning, blade outstretched, into a cluster of Vong warriors, slashing high as Jacen went low and the troopers behind them fired into the middle. The knot of warriors went down, their armor clattering as they collapsed in a heap.

As Qeris landed on her feet, one arm stretched out to the side to steady herself, she looked into the hangar bay where the ugly, lumpy coral craft sat crowded together, disgorging yet more Yuuzhan Vong and the squat reptilian humanoids they used as foot soldiers.

Jacen ran past her with blade held high, leading their company in a charge, and she joined him, rushing to meet their foes.

* * *

><p>Unnoticed in the frenetic melee around the ancient space station, a sleek black starship dodged its way through the battle, heading for the Star Forge. Even without the distraction of the battle, the starship would have been difficult to detect; it was designed for speed and stealth, equipped with technology that masked it from most kinds of sensors.<p>

The black starship stole up behind a lumpy coral boarding craft, following it in as it headed for one of the docking bays that ringed the central sphere of the Star Forge between the three massive pylons.

The Vong craft touched down on one side of the hangar, and the black starship slipped in beside it, venting gasses as it settled on its slim landing gear. Almost noiselessly, its hatch opened, lowering down into an angled ramp through which only dim red light could be seen.

Twelve black-cloaked figures swiftly filed out of the starship, their boots clanging softly on the metal gratings along the hangar's floor, and took up position near the coral ship, waiting for it to open. Another cloaked and hooded figure paused at the base of the black starship's ramp, watching, only glowing red eyes visible in the shadow of his cowl.

When the Yuuzhan Vong charged out of their vessel, they were met with arcing whips of orange energy mingled with twitching blue lightning, the blasts crawling over their armor to drive them back, howling under the assault.

Scarlet blades of energy ignited from twelve black hilts, and as one the cloaked figures charged, their blades humming fiery paths through the air.

[…]

When a squad of stormtroopers rushed to the hangar to repel the boarders, they found the hangar door open and the thirteen black-cloaked figures standing in a line, the twelve behind their leader, who stood impassively on the threshold with his cloak pushed back over his shoulders and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Where is Lord Vader?" the man asked, his glowing red eyes passing over the line of white-armored troopers. "I desire to speak with him."

* * *

><p>Working in concert with the rest of Blue Squadron, Jag Fel fired his TIE Interceptor's wingtip blasters relentlessly, driving a Vong boarding craft into a concentrated blast from the Star Forge's point-defense turrets. As the Vong ship crumbled into a cloud of spreading debris, Fel broke left, heading back out away from the station.<p>

The Vong kept launching wave after wave of boarding craft, and though the fighter squadrons fought to stop them, some were still getting through. Beyond them, the line of warships spread like a broad ring around the station were keeping the Vong capital ships back, though more kept coming in from the outer system all the time. The space between the formations was ablaze with turbolaser fire and magma blasts, explosions in both rings lighting up like fireworks on Empire Day.

High above Fel's current position, a phalanx of Chiss warships moved out away from the defensive ring, targeting one of the larger Vong capital ships. They fired in a staggered, seemingly random pattern, the bolts striking in too many places for the dovin basals to intercept. Magma blasts leaped up in a sustained cannonade at one of the Chiss ships, which attempted to angle itself to avoid the bulk of the blasts, but still it was hit several times and drifted back out of the formation, crippled and on fire through a number of hull breaches.

The rest of the Chiss vessels kept up their bombardment, and soon the targeted Vong vessel belched a stream of fire and debris from a large hull breach, clearly in its death throes. Most of the Chiss ships moved on, their squadrons of clawcraft swarming around them, while one peeled off from the formation to assist the crippled ship.

At the head of Blue Squadron, Fel blazed through a flight of coralskippers, methodically moving from one to the next, launching concussion missiles as soon as his wingman made an opening.

Over the general frequency, Thrawn's measured voice issued a steady stream of orders, directing _Executor_ or one of the _Eclipse-_class ships to fire their superlasers on various Vong formations around the battle, or sending squadrons to reinforce certain positions. The Chiss admiral's unflappable calm was reassuring in the chaos of the battle, though Fel wondered how long they could keep this up. There was no end to the Vong, to the point where it seemed as if two more took the place of any destroyed ship.

To his right, a TIE fighter exploded, and two coralskippers swooped through the debris cloud, firing at his squadron. Fel broke left and up, sending Zekk right and down, and they angled their fighters through tight curving loops, chasing their designated targets into each other's line of fire.

Fel noticed another skip trying to sneak up behind him, but even before he began his turn, the _Millennium Falcon_ soared past, spitting fire from both turrets, and blasted the skip into a cloud of coral fragments.

"Thanks for the assist, _Falcon_," Fel transmitted.

"_Anytime, junior,"_ General Solo replied. "_You boys follow me; I'm headed for those frigates targeting the _Peremptory."

"We're with you, _Falcon_," Fel replied. "Blue Squadron, form up."

Blue Squadron spread out into a broad chevron with the _Falcon_ at its point, following as the battered-looking old freighter launched a barrage of concussion missiles at one of the two Yuuzhan Vong frigates attacking the _Peremptory_.

As the _Falcon_ and Fel's squadron goaded the first frigate into angling toward them, the Star Destroyer fired back into its underside with her heavy turbolasers, splitting it lengthwise with the force of the blast.

Together, they made short work of the second frigate, and were about to move on when Fel noticed a third frigate accelerating straight toward the _Peremptory_, obviously intent on ramming it amidships. _Peremptory_ fired at it frantically, blasting several large chunks out of the coral hull, but the frigate was simply going too fast, and Fel could only order his ships to get clear of the blast radius before the impact.

The ramming frigate slammed into _Peremptory_ with enough force to buckle the Star Destroyer almost in half before the hypermatter reactor exploded, flinging jagged chunks of wreckage through the fireball.

"Damn it!" Fel hissed under his breath in frustration.

"Millennium Falcon, _the _Chimaera _has weakened that Vong destroyer-analogue off her starboard bow,_" Piett's voice said over the general frequency. "_Go help her finish it."_

"_On our way,_" Solo transmitted back. "_Come on, Blues; this ain't over yet."_

"You heard the General," Fel said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Keep breathing," Ami muttered to herself as she crouched behind a plate of metal shielding the mingled stormtroopers and Chiss marines around her had fashioned into a makeshift barricade. Off in the distance she could hear heavy pounding footsteps and deep-throated shouting as a company of Yuuzhan Vong marched through the corridors of the Star Forge toward them.<p>

To her left, between the two broad rectangles of metal set up in the center of the corridor, three stormtroopers worked quickly to assemble an E-Web heavy blaster cannon. Assorted metallic clicking sounds echoed from the walls as the troopers and marines checked their weapons and armor one last time before the enemy reached their position.

"Fire in waves," Jenn was saying to the troops behind her. "Watch for bugs; those things can change direction in mid-air. Corran and I will be in front of the barricade on either side of the E-Web, trying to keep the Vong back. Their armor is weak at the joints and the neck, and a lot of them don't wear helmets, so go for head-shots when you can. Ami," she said, turning to her. "Stay back there behind the barricade and focus on defending the E-Web; the longer we can keep it firing, the longer we can hold this position."

Ami nodded. "You got it." She drummed her fingers anxiously on her knee. "Keep breathing," she muttered again. "Keep breathing."

Finally, the Vong tromped into view, at least fifty of them, but what drew Ami's attention was behind them; a huge six-legged saurian with bony armor plates covering its head, back and flanks, its tail ending in an oblong heavy club. As it saw them, it let out an eerie whining howl, lowering its head in preparation to charge.

"Plan doesn't change!" Jenn shouted, igniting her cyan lightsaber. "We'll take the lizard, you focus on the troops."

Beside her, Corran activated his viridian blade, spinning it through a quick infinity arc before dropping into a crouch, preparing to spring at the creature.

With another whining vibrato howl, the saurian charged down the corridor, its heavy footsteps echoing like thunder, its tail slamming into the walls every few steps with a reverberating gonging sound.

"Fire!" the leader of the stormtroopers shouted, and the E-Web roared to life, spitting a stream of orange bolts at the creature, joined by the higher-pitched discharge of the troopers' rifles and the accelerating hum of the Chiss marines' charrics.

The majority of the bolts hit the saurian's armor plates with little effect, but some hit its legs and left streaking black burns, causing the creature to shriek in pain, but still it kept galloping toward them.

Jenn moved right, waving her lightsaber. "Over here, beastie! Come get me!"

As the creature angled toward her, Corran moved left and made a Force-assisted leap up to the ceiling, where he grabbed onto a conduit and hung by one hand for a moment, spinning his lightsaber into a reversed grip.

Ami ignited her golden-yellow lightsaber and moved to swat away a razor bug that had been heading for the E-Web gunners. The saurian's attention was drawn to this, distracting it long enough for Corran to drop down onto its back, where he nimbly dodged its initial swipe with its tail. Jenn slashed at its throat, and it reared back, snarling. Corran grabbed hold of one of its bony skull-ridges, bracing his feet on its shoulders, and slashed down at its throat. The saurian reared up on its four back limbs, thrashing its head and pawing at Corran with its forelimbs.

This, as planned, left the saurian's underbelly open, and the E-Web gunner opened fire on it, raking orange bolts up and down the softer, paler scales. Howling, the creature folded up on itself, trying to protect its belly, but Jenn dove, stretching out with the arm that held her lightsaber, and the creature inadvertently brought the underside of its jaw straight down onto the blade, which pierced up into its brain.

With a whine, it collapsed into a dead heap across the corridor. Corran quickly braced his shoulder against its flank and shoved it back, working together with Jenn to use the carcass to fill as much of the corridor as possible, making another obstacle for the charging Vong.

A warrior scrambled up over the dead beast, leaping from its shoulder at the gun emplacement with his amphistaff raised overhead for a two-handed blow, but the gunner tilted his weapon and let loose a chattering blast of fire, knocking the warrior all the way back over the slumped creature.

All around Ami, the troopers and marines fired steadily, pausing only to reload when their magazines ran dry, but still the Vong came, swarming over and around their dead war-beast in a fury. One notably tall, broad-shouldered warrior, his cheeks cut open nearly to his cheekbones in a horrifying rictus, pushed through the lines, heading straight for Ami where she stood next to the gun emplacement.

Both Jenn and Corran were engaged with knots of other warriors, and the soldiers had their own targets; this one was all hers.

Ami shifted sweat-slick hands on the hilt of her lightsaber, tensing her legs in preparation to leap.

"Keep breathing."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. Among other factors, I was temporarily distracted by a side project: '<em>Chuck Versus Judgment Day<em>', a 'Chuck' - 'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' crossover. It's completely posted now, if you're interested. I meant to post this part of the story _more_ quickly, but it seems Darth Real Life had other plans. Ah, well. I'll do my best to have the next chapter up on time. Till then, thanks for reading!


	31. Now Light Starts to Fade

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-One<strong>  
>(Now Light Starts to Fade)<p>

Ami knew better than to try and catch the huge Yuuzhan Vong warrior's heavy overhand blow on her blade. As his amphistaff came down, she dove to the side, hearing the deep metallic clang as his weapon slammed into the floor grating.

She rolled to her feet in a defensive crouch, golden-yellow blade angled before her, and tensed, watching the warrior in an attempt to predict his next move. He turned to face her, his clenched teeth visible through the slashes that extended the corners of his mouth nearly up to his cheekbones, and let out a bestial snarl, attempting to intimidate her.

It was working.

As he lumbered toward her, raising his amphistaff for another blow, Ami's eyes flicked around the stretch of corridor, sizing up her surroundings. To her left, Phoenix Fleet stormtroopers and Chiss marines crouched behind their barricades, firing at the relentlessly charging Vong and reptilians which swarmed around the hulking carcass of their dead war-beast, several meters to her right. Beside the dead saurian, Jenn and Corran fought side by side, too far away to offer her any assistance.

Above her, Ami saw something likely: a conduit suspended perhaps half a meter below the ceiling. Drawing upon the Force in preparation, she let her lightsaber go out. Her opponent was only steps away when she leaped straight up and grabbed the conduit with both hands.

Grunting with effort, she pulled her legs up and wrapped them around the slim conduit, crossing her ankles to keep herself secure. She then released the conduit with her hands and let herself swing down, igniting her blade near the beginning of her arc. The warrior, who had only just started to look up, saw her blade entirely too late to stop it.

The metal grating of the floor clanked lightly as his head landed upon it, followed shortly by the much heavier thump of his body, then the lighter impact of Ami's boots.

Lip curled with distaste, Ami stepped away from the headless body, took a deep breath, then ran to join the other Jedi.

* * *

><p>Drawn by the echoing sound of sustained blaster-fire, Jaina turned a corner into a broad hallway deeper in the Star Forge to find HK-47 and fifty of his YVHK droids methodically mowing down a charging platoon of reptilian foot-soldiers led by a group of taller Yuuzhan Vong warriors. The droids' mechanical hands fired their heavy blaster rifles, changed angles, and fired again and again, far more quickly than was possible for any organic soldier. The reptilians and Vong fell back with smoking holes in their limbs, chests, and heads, unable to even draw close to the line of droids before being blasted dozens of times, their bodies collapsing to the walkway or falling over the side deeper into the station.<p>

When the last of their foes had been eliminated, HK-47 ejected his rifle's spent power cell and replaced it with another. "Delighted Exclamation: This is the most fun I have had in months!"

"Agreement," the fifty YVHK units said in unnerving unison. "Eliminating Yuuzhan Vong meatbags is most satisfying."

Jaina suppressed her very strong urge to shudder as she walked down the hallway to their position.

HK's head swiveled toward her, and his photoreceptors brightened slightly. "Complimentary Greeting: Knight Solo, your armor is most impressive. If my scanners did not register your meatbag status, I would otherwise suppose you to be a highly sophisticated assassin droid like myself."

"Thanks… I think," Jaina said as she stopped a few meters away from the group of droids.

"Observation: Despite your earlier rudeness, I see you have followed my recommendation; my scanners register a compact flamethrower in your left gauntlet."

Jaina frowned inside her helmet. "I put it in a couple weeks ago. I've found it to be… useful in certain situations."

HK's photoreceptors brightened again. "Smug Statement: I told you so."

"Yeah, whatever," Jaina said dismissively. "What's the situation here?"

"Report: Our company has eliminated two hundred and thirty-six hostiles thus far, though the station's internal sensor readings indicate many times that number still active. Complaint: Their foot-soldiers are so depressingly stupid that only their numbers provide any sort of challenge to us. Even the Vong meatbags themselves are thrown into a mindless frenzy by our battle cry."

"Battle cry?"

In unison, the fifty YVHK droids bellowed a phrase in Yuuzhan Vong.

HK turned his head back to Jaina. "Translation: 'We are machines, superior in every regard to the meatbag Vong.' Contemptuous Boast: Like many of Lord Vader's other psychological warfare tactics, it has proven most effective. Stupid meatbags."

Jaina elected not to comment on this. Instead, she said, "Well… keep going, I suppose. Keep them away from the vital systems."

"Acknowledgment: We shall continue to do so, Knight Solo. Query: Will you be joining us?"

She gestured to one of the large doorways beyond the group of droids. "No, I'm on my way to rendezvous with Colonel LaRone's squad up on Level Five."

"Encouragement: Then proceed, Knight Solo, and may you slaughter a great many invaders with speed and efficiency."

Jaina paused for a moment, then decided to just walk past him without saying anything.

* * *

><p>As the last of the squat reptilian humanoids slumped to the ground, eerily soundless, Mara looked around the stretch of corridor in which she and her husband stood, listening for more enemies. But after a moment, it became apparent there were none, and she and Luke were alone for the moment, surrounded only by corpses.<p>

Luke let his lightsaber go out and clipped it to his belt, looking even more tired than Mara felt; the Dark Side was strong here, stronger than ever with all the fighting throughout the Star Forge, and at times it almost felt like some outside force was actively draining her strength, constantly assaulting her mental barriers. It was even worse here than it had been on Korriban all those years ago.

"We can't keep this up forever," Luke said, sounding only slightly winded; one wouldn't guess to look at him that he and Mara had just broken a charge by almost two dozen Yuuzhan Vong and their reptilian thralls.

Mara couldn't resist. "Getting tired already, Skywalker?"

"By my count, we've fought almost a hundred hostiles in the last few hours," Luke replied. "Even Jedi have limits."

"_You_ have limits, maybe," Mara teased. "I'm in better shape now than when I was twenty; I could do this all day."

Luke smirked playfully. "You know, hubris really doesn't suit you."

"It isn't hubris if it's true," Mara replied, grinning.

Luke only shook his head, and she laughed.

As they caught their breath, she turned serious again. "You're right, though; we can't keep this up forever. So far we've kept the Vong from getting near anything vital, but more boarding craft are landing all the time, and we're not likely to get any reinforcements out here." She paused, frowning. "Not that I'd approve, but frankly, I'm surprised Vader hasn't just started pumping Delta Red through the ventilation ducts already."

"I overheard Thrawn arguing with him about it before the battle," Luke said. "Thrawn wants to do exactly that, but Vader refuses to use Delta Red again. Apparently he's locked the remaining torpedoes with his personal codes; only he can fire them now."

Mara's brows drew together in puzzlement. "That doesn't sound like something Darth Vader would do."

To her surprise, Luke smiled slightly. "It's what Anakin Skywalker would do."

Mara looked back at him skeptically. "Don't get your hopes up too much, Luke. Refusing to continue using a biological weapon that liquefies from the inside out just makes him a little less of a monster than he used to be."

Luke met her gaze calmly. "Progress is progress."

Now it was Mara who could only shake her head, amazed. "Don't ever change, Skywalker," she said, and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

* * *

><p>As they walked at the head of their company of stormtroopers through a broad corridor overlooking the stellar-powered factories at the core of the station, Qeris saw a frown cross Jacen's face.<p>

"I sense the Dark Side," he said to her, looking off into the distance. "Not just present in the station; someone is using it."

"Your grandfather?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It doesn't feel like him. It's someone else." He tilted his head slightly to one side. "_Several_ other people, in fact."

Qeris reached out into the Force, concentrating, and a moment later confirmed it for herself. "You're right," she agreed. "They are close."

"Commander Solo," said the lieutenant commanding their stormtroopers, two fingers raised to the side of his helmet, "Ensign Thrien says to tell you the internal sensors register a large number of hostiles three levels below our present position."

Qeris pulled her datapad from her belt and punched up the schematics for this section of the station. "They could be heading for this droid factory here," she said, tapping one finger against the small screen.

"That section also leads down into one of the station's intact outer pylons," Jacen said, touching a different area of the screen with a gloved fingertip. "They could be heading down to one of the remaining plasma intakes to try and disrupt it; considering our defense is focused on keeping their warships away from the orbital stabilizers at the top of the station, I'd guess the plasma intakes to be one of their secondary targets."

Qeris nodded. "If they disrupt those, we'll eventually run out of power." She paused as another thought came to her. "Or, they could knock out enough of the regulators along the pylon on their way down that the station would start drawing too _much_ plasma and fry its own systems. That's something that could only be done from inside the station."

"Grand Admiral Thrawn agrees," said the lieutenant. "There's another large group of hostiles headed for the other intact pylon; he's ordering all available units there now."

"Are they using the walkways or the turbolifts?" Jacen asked.

The lieutenant put his fingers up to the side of his helmet again. "Ensign Thrien says the walkways."

Jacen gestured to the datapad. "Then we'll take this turbolift here and intercept them a level above the entrance. Are any of our men near there?"

"Lord Vader's battalion has just finished sealing off several launch hangars in that section," the lieutenant relayed. "He's acknowledged; he's on his way there now."

* * *

><p>On some days, he felt more like Anakin Skywalker, and on others, Darth Vader.<p>

Today he was Vader, sealed in the armor that made him the great machine demon to the savages, his face a mask of death, his breathing loud, deep, and eerily regular, his voice a thunderous rumble proclaiming their doom. He marched through the passages of the Star Forge, hearing the heavy tread of his soldiers echoing from the walls in regimented unison.

In a lifetime of wars, he had done this countless times. The battles all seemed to blur together in his memory; the charges, the retreats, the screams of the dying, foes innumerable falling beneath his blade. At times it seemed as if he had been soaked in death his entire life.

Was he truly as the Vong saw him? Was he an instrument of death, a violent force meant only for destruction and carnage?

The shadows wrapped around him. The darkness was his element, and he was its weapon.

"Fortify this position," he rumbled to the commander of his battalion. "I'm going ahead alone."

He could sense the commander's reluctance, his concern, but also his obedience; this man had fought at his side in dozens of battles, and knew the Dark Lord's capabilities.

And today Darth Vader felt like a lord of darkness. The savages wanted to bring death to the galaxy?

Let death come to them.

* * *

><p>A company of Yuuzhan Vong rushed through the halls of the Star Forge, intent on the passage down into one of the great machine factory's pylons. The fire demons had taken their own great station, the living factory their lords and priests had purified of the taint of machines, but this station was still disgustingly mechanical, an immense blasphemy against their gods. Their sacred duty was to purge this unclean place.<p>

Suddenly the lights faded, leaving them in silent total darkness. They paused, querying one another in their guttural language. None of their number had thought to bring any source of illumination.

From the blackness came the sound of a slow mechanical breath, and the warriors froze, drawing their weapons. The echoing rasp of another breath seemed to come from all around them, followed by the rumbling clang of heavy footsteps.

One of the bolder warriors hurled an explosive bug in the direction of the footsteps, but they heard nothing, not even the pop and burst of detonation. Instead, the humming of the bug's wings merely stopped abruptly, leaving only the continued sound of deep mechanical breathing and heavy footsteps.

"_We face death without fear!"_ one of the warriors shouted into the darkness.

"_That is a lie,"_ a distorted basso voice rumbled back in their language, the echoes masking its point of origin. "_I can taste your fear."_

"_We are holy warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong!"_ the warrior cried boldly. "_The gods will reward us in the afterlife for following their will!"_

"_There is no reward for you," _the deep voice intoned. "_Only death."_

A great steel-gray blade of light shrieked into being right in front of them, and faster than they could move, clove through several necks. The death's-head mask loomed above them in a black fury, breath panting like a huge predatory beast, and lightning swirled out of the darkness to consume them.

* * *

><p>Along with Colonel LaRone and the rest of the Vader's Fist unit, Jaina hurried through the lower levels of the Star Forge's spherical central section, locking down any vital systems ahead of the large company of Yuuzhan Vong behind them.<p>

On point, she and Corporal Vazkes ducked into one of the secondary control rooms off the main factory ring. Unexpectedly, they found there in front of the bank of computers a small, misshapen creature, the limbs on one side longer than the others, dressed in a dirty, shapeless robe. Though deformed, it was quite obviously a Yuuzhan Vong, the skin of its hands and face crisscrossed with scars, burns and tattoos beneath the tangled, stringy mass of its coarse black hair.

"Hands up!" Vazkes barked, raising her rifle.

Bright, intelligent eyes gleamed within the ugly face as the Vong turned to face them. "Hmm, I didn't think you'd get here this quickly," he said in surprisingly clear Basic. His eyes moved to Jaina. "Jedi."

"Hands up, or I blow your ugly head right off your neck," Vazkes threatened, gesturing with the barrel of her rifle.

Face twisted into a mocking sneer, the Vong raised his hands and stepped away from the computer console. "It doesn't matter, you know," he said conversationally, totally unfazed. "A few hundred of my soldiers are on their way here right now. Not even you _mighty warriors_ can hold off that many by yourselves," he said, dripping with sarcasm.

"Your soldiers?" Jaina asked curiously. There was something odd about him; it was almost as if she could dimly sense him in the Force, like a candle shrouded in heavy fog.

The Vong sneered again. "Oh, yes, _my_ soldiers," he said. "That posturing oaf may sit on his throne, and everyone may bow and scrape before him, but _I _control him. _I, _Onimi, truly lead the Yuuzhan Vong. _I'm_ the one trying to salvage this miserable excuse for an invasion. Where did you people even find this station, anyway? I thought the Star Forge those triple-damned fire cultists stole from me was the only one." His fingers twitched in frustration. "Where did _they_ come from? If they hadn't attacked you people and destroyed a few of your planets, I'd have thought _you_ sent them, you Jedi or your quintuple-damned Darth Vader."

"_You_ controlled the other Star Forge?" Vazkes said derisively. "I thought the scar-heads hate technology."

"Yes, the Yuuzhan Vong do hate technology," Onimi said patronizingly. "They have big bonfires and everything, where the priests whip them into a stupid, howling frenzy with great fiery speeches about our 'holy crusade against the infidels' and all that nonsense. But those of us who live in the real world," he said angrily, his voice rising in vitriol and volume, "know ships and soldiers don't just appear by magic, especially when Darth _kriffing_ Vader spends twenty years destroying them! It's a brutal universe, girls, and you either adapt or die!"

"You're insane," said Vazkes, astonished.

"It's the universe that's insane," Onimi said, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head slightly to one side. "I'm just ahead of the curve."

He lowered his hands and took a step toward them, and Jaina felt a peculiar sensation in the Force. "You have two choices," he said, his voice lowering to a vicious snarl. "You can either stay here and die right now, and I promise to make it quick, or you can run, and my warriors will rip you to pieces. If you're lucky."

Instead of replying, Vazkes fired, but the barrel of her gun jerked aside just as she squeezed the trigger, and the bolt hit the console instead, shattering the screen in a puff of smoke.

Onimi sprang toward her, but Jaina raised her left gauntlet and sent a stream of fire blasting out at him. He stumbled back with a shriek, swatting at a burning patch on his robe, and Jaina took advantage of his distraction to dart in with her lightsaber and sweep his head from his shoulders.

The odd sensation in the Force faded as his corpse toppled backwards, and Jaina frowned inside her helmet. "You think any of that was true?" she asked Vazkes, closing down her lightsaber.

"Don't know," the commando replied, and fired three quick bolts into Onimi's body. "Don't care." She nodded toward the door. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>"<em>Three skips on our tail,<em>" Ben's voice said over his headset, and Anakin Solo swiveled the _Millennium Falcon_'s dorsal turret to the rear.

In wordless concert, they worked together, and made quick work of the coralskippers, as they had done so many times in the last few hours that Anakin had long since lost count.

"Millennium Falcon, _this is Rogue Leader,"_ Tycho Celchu's voice said on a direct line. "_We're inbound to your position. Are there any targets you want us to hit on our way in?"_

"_Those two Vong destroyers in sector twenty-three are hassling the _Stalwart," Han replied._ "Nice of you guys to drop by,"_ he said dryly. "_I was starting to think the Republic had forgotten about us out here."_

"_Sorry, we're all you get,"_ Tycho said, a hint of apology in his otherwise businesslike tone. "_The Republic Navy is tied up with a couple of Vong battle groups in the Braxant Sector, as well as the Ziost situation. Technically, we're supposed to be back with Wedge and the _Old Ben,_ but he got it cleared with High Command as 'escort duty'."_

"_Who are you escorting?"_ Han asked curiously.

"_Me,"_ said Anakin's mother. In his turret, he grinned. "_We'll meet you in sector twenty-three, and then I'd appreciate some cover on my way in to the station."_

Anakin could hear a similar grin in his father's voice. "_You got it._" Han switched over to the squadron frequency. "_Still with me, Blues?_"

"_Affirmative,"_ Colonel Fel replied. "_Confirm friendlies inbound; we'll provide cover._"

"What's that worldship doing?" Anakin wondered aloud, noting the immense coral vessel accelerating straight toward one of the _Eclipse-_class ships, so new it didn't even have a proper name yet.

"_It's going to ram it!" _Han said urgently. "_They're just going to plow right through the line."_

"_It's certainly big enough to survive the impact," _Fel observed.

"E-7 _requesting assistance!"_ its commander said over the general frequency. "_We've just fired our main weapon, and can't fire again for several more minutes. Are there any other superlaser ships in range?"_

"_Unfortunately, there are not,"_ Thrawn replied. "_Angle straight down and accelerate; you may be able to dive under it. _E-4,_ move within range of that worldship and fire when ready."_

As Anakin watched, the black warship, seventeen kilometers from stem to stern, slowly began to angle downwards, its thrusters glowing brightly. The behemoth worldship, so huge it dwarfed its target, lumbered inexorably forward, flinging bright magma from the tips of its outstretched spiraling arms.

Faster and faster the worldship came. _E-7_ dove with all the power its engines could provide, but still it looked like the lower edge of the worldship would clip it. Anakin expected the gravity-manipulating dovin basals to ensnare the warship, but as the two ships drew closer, he realized the angles were wrong.

In the lower turret, Ben had come to the same conclusion. "_Wait a minute. It hasn't locked on to _E-7_, it's locked on to something else; it's starting to move upward."_

The chatter of the comm faded into tense silence as _E-7_ continued its desperate dive, rocking with enemy fire and firing back with its own turbolasers, its engines glowing like stars against the night.

With barely a hundred meters to spare, _E-7_ cleared the lowest of the worldship's spindly coral arms, and Anakin heard more than one audible sigh of relief over the general frequency.

However, as he watched the worldship and mentally predicted its course, Anakin's relief turned to horror.

"_It's going to ram the Star Forge!_" Fel exclaimed. "_I estimate five minutes to impact."_

"_Confirmed,_" Thrawn said a moment later, unflappably calm. "_Even if _E-4_ gets into position in time, pieces will still hit the station."_

_E-4_ was not going to get there in time; several Vong warships came through the hole in the line made by the worldship and launched a punishing assault against it. The captain had no choice but to fire; the superlaser lanced out to destroy the largest of these vessels, leaving them without its capabilities for several minutes.

Chatter on the comm confirmed Anakin's estimate of the angles; the accelerating worldship was going to ram one of the Star Forge's two intact lower pylons at about the level of the broken one, leaving the station with but one functional plasma intake.

And the enemy had plenty more ships to throw.

* * *

><p>"<em>All hands, evacuate Pylon Three! Two minutes to impact!<em>"

Luke could hear the strain in Revan's voice even through the intercom; he could sense the Jedi Master trying to reinforce them all through Battle Meditation, but controlling the station was too much effort, and he was unable to give it his full concentration. Further, Luke could feel a vague sense of rebellion in the station itself; in some way, the Star Forge did not wish to be used by a master of the Light Side. It was a weapon of darkness, and wanted to be used as such, surrounded as it was by foes.

Stormtroopers and Chiss marines streamed past them, abandoning their fortifications. He and Mara stood on either side of the lowermost entrance to Pylon Three from the central sphere of the station, directing the evacuation. Fortunately, they had only arrived with their forces a few minutes ago, and as such, were able to retreat quickly.

"Luke," Mara said warningly, and even as she spoke, Luke sensed it. He turned to see thirteen black-cloaked figures hurrying along behind the last of the soldiers, and his hand reflexively tightened around his lightsaber.

"Stay your hand, Master Skywalker," one of them said, pausing next to him. "We are not here to do battle with you."

Beneath his hood, Luke saw the blue-skinned face of a Chiss, an angular pattern of black tattoos around his glowing red eyes, the upper lines reaching back into his hair and the lower points curving around his high cheekbones.

"You're Sith," Mara snapped.

"Indeed we are," the tattooed Chiss said mildly. "But this is neither the time nor place for a confrontation. You can surely sense the truth of my words?"

Luke frowned, but had to admit he did not sense malice or treachery from any of the cloaked figures. "Move," he said, gesturing with the hand which held his lightsaber.

The hooded man inclined his head in acknowledgment, and his followers hurried past them at a brisk jog, heading up into the central sphere.

"Hostiles inbound!" one of the Chiss marines shouted back to them.

"Form ranks and prepare to fire!" Mara shouted back, sprinting up to the head of the line.

At the rear, Luke eyed the thirteen Sith suspiciously.

"In other circumstances, I would be eager to cross blades with you, Jedi," their leader said impatiently. "But at the moment we have a common foe. We will fight alongside you and your troops."

"_One minute!"_ Revan announced. "_All hands, brace for impact!_"

Luke braced himself in a small alcove in the wall of the corridor, glad they weren't up in one of the huge open rooms in the upper levels spanned by walkways without railings. Standing there, muscles tensed, listening to the whoop of the alarms, the minute seemed to drag by like an hour, until finally he heard the strained shout over the intercom.

"_Impact!"_

Luke had to call on the Force to keep himself in his alcove as the entire station shook violently, the lights flickering erratically until finally they abruptly shut off, leaving them in complete darkness but for the faint pale white light coming from the chemical lighting panels beneath the floor grating.

The Sith Lord, in his own alcove across the corridor, turned and stretched his arm back toward the massive door. Luke realized his intent as he felt the man drawing on the Force, and he reached out with his own power to help close the door. The metallic rasp as it slid shut was nearly inaudible amidst the shrieking of the alarms, the clattering of assorted loose items rattling around them, and the deep rumbling of explosions far beneath them. Luke could smell the fire coming up the pylon even as the door sealed shut.

When finally the rumbling subsided and the station stopped shaking, the alarms faded but the lights did not come back on. Luke ignited his lightsaber for illumination, filling his section of the corridor with pale green light. "Everyone all right?" he called up the hall.

"Five by five, Master Skywalker," the closest stormtrooper replied. By the emblem on his pauldron, Luke saw he was one of Jacen's Phoenix Fleet troopers.

Further down the corridor, he could see the magenta beam of his wife's lightsaber, and between them, twelve scarlet blades flared into being in rapid succession. Mindful of the Sith Lord a step behind him, Luke moved quickly up the corridor past the troopers, marines, and Sith, none of whom did more than look at him as he passed.

As he drew closer, he could see Mara standing near one of the Sith, a young red-skinned Zeltron woman with short, spiky black hair. Holding her lightsaber upright in one hand, the Zeltron removed her cloak with the other and cast it aside, revealing a black leather outfit decorated with silvery studs, the most substantial portion of which was her boots. A network of black tattoos ran in angular patterns over her entire body.

"Aren't you cold?" Mara said critically, raising one eyebrow.

"Aren't you _old_?" the Zeltron retorted rudely.

Totally unfazed, Mara merely rolled her eyes and crossed to the other side of the corridor. "By all means, charge into battle dressed like a stripper," Luke heard her muttering under her breath. "That'll be sure to distract the enemy."

"Are those Vong still on their way here?" he asked her.

"Probably," she replied. "That worldship did their job for them, but it wouldn't surprise me if they came down here for a fight anyway. Some people have no sense when it comes to battle," she said with a pointed glance over her shoulder.

Though she didn't look in their direction, the Zeltron took one hand off her lightsaber for an obscene gesture at Mara, her finger silhouetted against the crimson blade.

"I'm _so_ glad the Sith decided to join us," Mara said sarcastically. "This day hadn't gotten quite bad enough."

"They say they're here to help," said Luke, though he was equally suspicious.

"I'm sure they came here straight from collecting donations for the Old Spacer's Home," she replied dryly.

Luke turned his head to hide his amused smile, pretending to be listening for the approach of the inbound Vong saboteurs.

Soon enough, he heard the sound of many running feet along the metal grating of the floor - he estimated several dozen - though something about the footsteps sounded… off.

"Strange," Mara murmured, clearly thinking the same thing. "They sound more like they're running _from_ something."

"But what?" Luke wondered aloud.

"Here they come," said one of the troopers. "Ready!"

The troopers and marines, arranged in three rows, raised their rifles and aimed them down the dark hallway echoing with footsteps and guttural shouting. The commander took a flare from his belt, primed it, and rolled it down the corridor, a bright spot of red light trailing light gray smoke and sparks.

However, there was another source of light further down the corridor, bright blue but erratic, and along with it came the unmistakable sense of the Dark Side.

"How many of you are here?" Luke asked the Sith Lord over his shoulder, still staring down the dark hallway.

"Just myself and my twelve acolytes," the Chiss replied distractedly. "It is him," he said, sounding oddly satisfied.

"It's who?" Luke asked.

"Who do you think?" Mara said softly.

The first of the Vong came into view by the light of the flare, and a moment before the soldiers opened fire, Luke saw that they were indeed fleeing, not charging.

What they were fleeing from came into view a moment later.

Vong and their reptilian foot-soldiers ran heedlessly into the line of fire, their bodies sprawling across the broad corridor, more contributing to the tangle as their fellows tripped over the corpses, but the blaster and charric-fire gradually trickled off as a storm of blue lightning overtook the crowd of invaders from the rear.

Like a great black bird of prey, Darth Vader swooped into view, his steel-gray saber flashing in a dazzling web of light. He moved from one cluster to the next without pause, without mercy, brutally mowing down anything within reach of his blade. A cloud of debris surrounded him like planetary rings, pieces darting forward to pelt those ahead of him, distracting them long enough for him to cut them down. Beneath the shrieks and screams of his victims was the slow, steady sound of his mechanical breathing.

When the last of them were dead, Vader let his saber go out and stood among them, allowing his cloak to fall around himself like folded wings. The black curves of his death's-head helmet gleamed in the sputtering red light of the slowly dying flare near his feet.

"This section is secure," he said, the basso mechanical distortion of his helmet giving his words an eerie sense of composure in the carnage around him.

Luke could find nothing to say. He could only stare at his father, distractedly moving aside as the thirteen Sith moved past him down the hallway.

Their leader stopped a few paces away and lowered his hood. In unison, his twelve followers dropped to one knee behind him, their heads bowed.

Vader looked back at them impassively. "Who are you?"

"I am Darth Glaechyk," the tattooed Chiss replied. "My acolytes and I come to pledge ourselves to you, Darth Vader, Dark Lord and Master of the Sith." When he finished, he too dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

Mara shot Luke a skeptical look, and he shrugged; Glaechyk was deep in the Dark Side, and it was difficult to tell if he was lying.

"I did not send for you," Vader said neutrally, his voice giving no clues as to what he was thinking.

"Indeed, the Sith have been without your leadership for some time, Lord Vader," Glaechyk said. "We have hidden ourselves as we rebuilt our order, but of late we have been attacked by those calling themselves the Burned, who have killed nearly all of us. We come before you to ask you to take your throne as Master of the Sith once again, and lead us against this new threat."

Vader said nothing for a long moment, staring down at the thirteen. The dark corridor was completely silent but for the measured rasp of his breathing; none of them dared to speak until he gave his reply.

The buzz of his belt comlink was startlingly loud in the tense silence. "Yes?"

"_Lord Vader, this is Thrawn. Master Organa Solo has joined me in the war room, and we concur that the Yuuzhan Vong's strategy has become markedly less organized in the last several minutes; we may have destroyed the vessel containing their war-leader. I advise that we take advantage of this distraction to launch Delta Red torpedoes into their worldships."_

"_No!"_ Leia's voice broke in. Luke heard a sort of muffled thump, as if someone had covered the microphone.

* * *

><p>Standing at the command console before the enormous holoprojector in the war room, Leia glared at Thrawn as the Grand Admiral placed his hand over the audio pickup between them.<p>

"You _cannot_ use Delta Red!" she exclaimed.

"With all due respect, Master Organa Solo," Thrawn said coldly, "that is not your decision. This is war, and in war, one must do whatever is necessary to win. This station is heavily damaged, and now that the Vong have resorted to ramming it with their largest vessels, will not last long. Delta Red will end this battle, and since your father has restricted its use to his own decision, I will persuade him to make that decision."

"It's wrong!" she persisted.

"_Nothing_ is wrong in war!" Thrawn said with uncharacteristic vehemence. "You would rather drag this battle out until all our ships are spent, until our soldiers are all dead, until your _children_ are dead beneath the unending numbers of the savage horde?" He raised a hand to point at her. "I am not here to make an honorable last stand, Master Organa Solo. I am here to win the war I have spent nearly fifty years fighting, by any means available to me. Now stand aside and let me finish this!"

Over his shoulder, Leia saw Ensign Thrien's hand slowly moving up to the blaster on her belt.

"Are you threatening me, Admiral?"

Thrawn leaned closer to her, narrowing his eyes, and said slowly, his voice taut with fury, "I will kill you, _Jedi,_ if it means ending this war."

He gestured, and every stormtrooper, aide, and black-uniformed officer in the room drew their blasters and aimed them at Leia.

Thrawn straightened and removed his hand from the microphone. "_Executor_ has a firing solution on several worldships, Lord Vader. Send the signal to launch Delta Red."

There was no answer from the other end of the line.

His eyes still fixed on Leia's, Thrawn turned his head toward the pickup. "Lord Vader, I urge you, send the signal now!"

"Admiral, look!" Ensign Thrien exclaimed, pointing past them.

The immense holoprojector at the center of the war room had added a new contact coming in from the edge of the system, one so big the simulation automatically classified it as a planet.

"The _Phoenix?_" one of the officers said.

"Much too big," Thrawn replied, gazing up at the projection.

"It's Zonama Sekot," Leia said, giving voice to what she felt through the Force. "It has to be."

* * *

><p>In the <em>Falcon<em>'s cockpit, Han could only stare in astonishment as the unmistakable blue-and-green sphere of a planet did something he had never, ever, in decades of traveling the space-lanes, seen a planet do: move of its own accord like a tremendous starship. Slowly, the planet coasted to a stop just within visible range, close enough to distinguish the colors of its oceans and landmasses but far enough away to offer itself some protection from the roiling nuclear fury of the star below them.

The more logical, rational part of Han's mind knew it still couldn't stay this close to the sun for long, but the rest of him said logic could go jump out of the airlock; _planets_ were moving around on their own out there.

Outside, the fire of the battle slowly trickled off as all of the ships on both sides registered the incoming planet and stopped, waiting to see what would happen next.

Han heard footsteps coming up the passage through the open cockpit door, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the viewport.

"Sekot's calling to them," he heard Anakin's voice say behind him.

* * *

><p>On their way up to the control room, in the middle of a broad walkway with an endless drop beneath it, Ami paused as beside her, Jenn stopped and closed her eyes. On her other side, Corran also stopped, his expression intent, as if listening. Ami felt a powerful presence in the Force, could hear whispers on the edge of understanding, but could not tell what was being said.<p>

"It's inviting them to come with it," Jenn said slowly.

* * *

><p>Standing before their company of troopers in the entrance to the remaining pylon, Qeris turned to Jacen as he distractedly let his lightsaber go out.<p>

He looked over at her. "It's saying they don't have to fight to get what they want."

* * *

><p>"It is telling them it is a piece of their lost home," Vader's deep voice said from the shadows; the flare had since burned out, leaving him only a dark silhouette in the dim corridor, nearly invisible in the darkness. "It says it can help them regain what they have lost."<p>

Luke could hear this in the Force himself. There were no words as such; more of an impression of intent beyond language.

"_They are distracted and vulnerable,"_ Thrawn's voice said over the comlink. "_Now is the time to fire!_"

Vader's silhouette shifted, but Luke couldn't see what he was doing. Was he preparing to authorize the launch? He could sense nothing of his father's thoughts.

"Fire, Lord Vader," said Glaechyk from where he and his acolytes knelt. "Wipe out the savages once and for all!"

"Don't do it, Father," Luke said. "This could be the end. Violence now will solve nothing."

"Don't do it," Mara said softly beside him. "Please."

Vader still made no reply, and the hallway fell back into tense silence. Luke could hear the creaking of his father's gauntlets. Was his hand clenched in a fist? Was he about to send the signal to _Executor_ to launch its deadly weapons? Or had he already decided not to, and was waiting for the Yuuzhan Vong's response?

"_The boarders are retreating,_" Leia's voice said from the comlink. "_They're returning to their ships and leaving the station."_

"_It proves nothing,"_ said Thrawn. "_They could still be preparing to ram the station again."_

Leia's voice came over the line again, gentler than Luke had ever heard her speak to their father. "_You know what needs to be done. This is your chance to prove who you really are… Father."_

"_I need your answer!"_ Thrawn said impatiently. "_One more concerted attack, and this station will be damaged beyond repair. If we attack them first, we can prevail."_

Still Luke could not sense his father's thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Look!" Ben said, pointing between his uncle and Chewbacca at the scene outside the cockpit viewport. "They're leaving!"<p>

"They're headed for the planet," Han said.

Anakin frowned. "But are they going to it, or attacking it?"

Ben had to admit it was impossible to tell. The remaining Yuuzhan Vong ships that were still mobile were streaming away from the Star Forge in barely organized formations, heading with almost frantic speed for the thumbnail-sized blue-green orb far away from the battle.

* * *

><p>Standing before a huge curved viewport at the edge of the station along with the other commandos, Jaina watched the still-numerous Vong fleet leave the battle, headed for Zonama Sekot. Slowly, the orb seemed to shrink as it drew away, though she couldn't tell whether it was fleeing or leading the Vong away from the system.<p>

"It's not afraid," she said, voicing what she felt in the Force.

The living world vanished from sight, and with multiple flickers of pseudo-motion, so did the Vong.

"Is that it?" Turc said, surprised. "Are they gone for good?"

"I think they are," said Hiqs.

Almost simultaneously, Vazkes and Bentis raised their arms and let out a joyous whoop. Assured by what she had sensed, Jaina joined in.

* * *

><p>Luke made his way through the chattering troopers, marines and Sith to his father, holding up his lightsaber for illumination. "Would you have done it?" he asked Vader quietly. "If they hadn't left, would you have given the order to fire?"<p>

Vader looked down at him through his mask for three measured breaths, then turned and walked away without a word.

The green light faded as Luke let his lightsaber go out, leaving him shrouded in shadow.

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett sat down in the command chair with a sigh of relief, and allowed the bridge crew their moment of undisciplined cheering. Finally, _finally_, after more than twenty years of brutal fighting, of having to watch the men and women under his command die against their implacable foe, it was over. He was scarcely able to believe it, but it seemed to be true: the Yuuzhan Vong were gone, accompanying the living world, a piece of their lost home, off to parts unknown.

In the midst of the jubilation, Piett noticed the junior sensor officer working at her console with a frown, pushing her cap back slightly as she gazed at her monitors.

He quickly walked over and descended the steps into the crew pit, stopping next to the sensor officer with a light touch on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Hyperspace activity, sir," she said, and the crew around her fell silent. "Incoming contacts, several hundred at least."

"Damn!" the comm officer swore. "The Vong have come back!"

"No," the sensor officer said slowly, going over the readings. "It's not the Vong."

She punched up visual telemetry from their sensor buoys on one of her monitors, and Piett sighed heavily, stepping back from her console.

"It's the Burned."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Again, I apologize for the delay. My beta reader is unavailable for the time being, which means it's taking me longer than usual to edit and polish the chapters by myself. Aside from that, I was briefly distracted for a few weeks by a side project, as I mentioned in the previous chapter. I don't know how many of you are 'TSCC' andor 'Chuck' fans, but I had an absolute blast writing '_Chuck Versus Judgment Day_', so you might enjoy that story, as well. It's an action-packed nerdy good time. ;)

I'm going to do my best to have the next chapter up on schedule two weeks from now, and, if I'm lucky, increase the posting schedule from there to one chapter per week until the end of the story. (There will be 42 chapters altogether.) Till next time, thanks for reading!


	32. In Fire We Drown

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Two<strong>  
>(In Fire We Drown)<p>

"_Re-form the line,"_ Thrawn's voice ordered through the comm speakers on _Executor_'s bridge. "_Targeting data incoming; fire when ready."_

Piett and his bridge crew rushed to their task. This day had gone on far too long already; the crew was exhausted, the ship was in need of repair, and their numbers were greatly diminished from one already bloody battle. As the sensor data came in, Piett fought the sinking feeling in his stomach. This fleet of Burned vessels, freshly manufactured by their own Star Forge, numbered almost as many as the Yuuzhan Vong fleet which had just departed. They came streaming in from the outer system in a thick line like an enormous squirming serpent, their advance ships spreading out as they drew closer to the Star Forge.

"Incoming broad-band hail, sir," the comm officer reported.

Piett moved to stand in the center of the command walkway, gazing out of the expansive bridge viewports at the rapidly approaching enemy. "Let's hear it."

"_We are the Burned,"_ a genderless, withered voice rasped from the comm speakers. "_We have come to purge the unworthy. Surrender now and submit to the cleansing. Those who are not part of the Fire will be consumed by it."_

Piett allowed himself a cultured sneer. "Fire control," he barked. "Target the main weapon on the source of that transmission."

"Target locked, sir," came the reply a moment later.

"Purge this," Piett muttered under his breath. "Fire!"

A tremendous green beam of pure destructive power leaped out from _Executor_'s prow, hurtling through the wreckage-littered space between the two fleets to slam into the leading enemy warship, obliterating it in a cloud of flame.

Moments later, several of the remaining _Eclipse_-class ships fired with their own superlasers, the other warships of the allied fleet released their own cannonades, and the battle was joined once again.

* * *

><p>"Their first wave is on course for the orbital stabilizers," Thrawn observed, pointing up at the incoming contacts on the war room's huge holographic projection. "They know exactly where to hit us."<p>

Leia nodded silently in agreement. There would be a time to address his threats against her, but it was not now. Now, they had to work together to have any chance of surviving this.

She looked up as she heard the sound of the turbolift door opening, and saw Jenn, Ami and Corran entering. Jenn headed for her at a brisk walk, pointing to the other entrance to the war room, the one that led off to the viewing platform. "Come with me," she said quickly. "I have an idea on how the two of us can work with Revan to hold them off."

Leia fell into step with the other Jedi Master, and together they hurried through the passage to the viewing platform, passing the ranks of spidery Rakatan battle droids Revan had manufactured with the machines there as a last line of defense for the command section.

Revan was there waiting for them, standing in the middle of the broad balcony at the rear of the immense room. Behind him, the huge viewports looked down onto the great factories in the middle of the central spherical section of the Star Forge.

Leia and Jenn ran up one of the ramps leading up to the balcony and over to Revan, who stood near a small computer console just in front of the balcony's railing.

"The Burned are going to start attacking our soldiers with their power any minute," Jenn began, gesturing up at the viewports. "I think between the three of us, we can counter them at least a little. You can help Leia amplify her Battle Meditation with the Star Forge, and I can use my… link, or whatever it is, with the Burned to absorb or deflect their power."

"Sounds dangerous," Revan cautioned.

Jenn spread her hands. "You got a better idea?"

Revan shrugged in acquiescence. "I assume it would help if you could see what's going on outside?"

"Yeah," Jenn said, gesturing over her shoulder. "You want to head back to the war room?"

"No need," Revan said with a grin. He reached over to the console and pressed the comm button. "Revan to command room. Hold the turbolift to your section for a minute; I'm bringing us up."

"_Acknowledged,"_ Ensign Thrien's voice replied; Thrawn was obviously busy with strategy.

"Up?" Jenn said curiously.

Revan reached over and punched a sequence of keys on his console, and with a surprisingly smooth sense of motion and nearly noiseless drone of hydraulics, the entire room began to move upward. The expansive viewports went dark as they rose through the outer hull of the station, then the bright yellow light of the sun which they orbited flooded into the room, almost blinding before Revan adjusted the polarization.

Now they could see the edges of the uppermost sections of two of the station's three massive pylons at the sides of the viewports, framing the view of the star-field outside, alive with moving vessels and flashing with fire throughout both formations. Despite the urgency of the situation, Leia took a second to marvel at the impressive view.

"This is the way this room was on the original Star Forge I commanded," Revan said as they settled into position. "I didn't even know this section retracted into the outer hull until we found this one."

"Stars, look how many of them are out there!" Jenn exclaimed, pointing out at the approaching formation of Burned vessels, so many their running lights and engine emissions seemed to form a great serpent made of fire. Apparently, there was an optical component to the viewports, as well; Revan touched a control, and the view magnified.

Leia watched as the Super Star Destroyer holding position directly above them between the three pylons opened fire with its batteries, destroying a number of Burned fighters painted in the characteristic swirls of red, orange and yellow.

"Their fighters are quick," Revan observed. "They're small and agile enough to slip through our lines and evade most of our point-defense weapons. We should pull a few squadrons of our own back to counter them."

"Thrawn's already on it," Leia said, pointing to the swarms of TIE fighters launching from the command ship, the surrounding Star Destroyers, and some of the larger frigates.

"Which ship is that SSD?" Jenn asked. "Is that one of yours, or is it from Vanguard Fleet?"

"It's the _Nemesis_, one of Jacen's," Revan replied. "He ordered its task force to defend the orbital stabilizers, which they've done admirably; this part of the station has taken minimal damage so far. But with so many enemy ships out there, I don't know how long they can hold out."

"They've started attacking the leading edge of our formation," Jenn said with a frown. "I can feel them."

"Let's get to it, then," Revan said, lowering himself down into a meditative posture on the deck.

Leia and Jenn sat down next to him, the three of them forming the points of a triangle. Leia reached out into the Force, joining her power with theirs, and hoped this would work.

* * *

><p>Jag Fel scrambled to get his squadron back in formation. Already, flights of Burned fighters were rocketing through their lines, careening at incredible speed toward their target. As he watched, he saw a squadron of TIE fighters attempt to block the way, pouring fire from their blaster cannons, but one wave of Burned fighters slammed into them, making way for more of the horde behind them.<p>

"_How are we supposed to fight them if they just ram us?_" one of his pilots exclaimed in frustration.

"Cut the chatter, Blue Six," Fel said, adjusting his targeting sensors. "Watch each other's backs out there. If someone tells you to roll, roll. We'll get through this, Blues. Two, what's our status?"

"_Five, Seven, and Eight are gone,"_ Zekk replied. "_Ten had to eject; she's been picked up and is back on the _Executor_ prepping another Interceptor. I've taken some light damage to my lower starboard wing, but I'll be all right."_

"_Here comes another flight of pyros," _Blue Four warned.

"Let's take them out, Blues," Fel said, angling his fighter toward the incoming enemy craft.

He knew that no quarter would be given to him by his fanatical opponents, so he in turn gave none. Fel ruthlessly peppered his chosen target with bursts from his wingtip blasters, waiting until his targeting computer achieved lock, then he fired a spread of concussion missiles which arced out to rip the Burned fighter to pieces.

"Six, break right!" he ordered, seeing one of the needlelike Burned ships preparing to ram.

Blue Six snap-rolled his Interceptor to the right, barely avoiding the other vessel, and quickly twisted himself through a one-eighty-degree turn, firing rapidly with his blasters until the Burned ship exploded.

Fel saw another ship accelerating toward him a moment before Zekk barked a warning, and he rolled to the left, but slightly too early; the Burned fighter adjusted its course and kept on toward him, now only a few dozen meters away.

Even as he pushed his fighter down in a swooping dive, the enemy ship exploded above him, and through the fireball flew a unique craft of a class Fel had never seen before.

Colored dark gray and black with blue running lights, it was about the size of an X-wing, but with a slightly larger cockpit, big enough for two. It had the extended fuselage characteristic of the X-wing, as well, but had four forward-curving wings reminiscent of a Chiss clawcraft, with wingtip blaster cannons.

"_Got room for one more?"_ Jaina Solo's voice asked over the squadron frequency.

Fel allowed himself a smile. "Anytime. Aligning transponders now." He switched over to the carrier group frequency. "_Executor_ Fighter Control, designate Knight Solo's ship Blue Five."

"_Acknowledged, Blue Leader."_

"_Hey, that's no Interceptor,_" Zekk remarked.

"_My own design, so fresh out of the factory the paint's barely dry,"_ Jaina replied, a grin evident in her tone.

Since there were no more enemy ships within range, Fel took a moment to perform a quick sensor scan of her ship. Apart from its considerable armament, analysis of its lift/mass ratio, maneuvering capabilities, and shields indicated it was a formidable fighter indeed.

"_Nice," _Zekk said appreciatively. "_I want one._"

"_We manage to survive this, I'll build enough for the whole squadron,"_ Jaina replied. "_Two on your right, Nine._"

As Nine angled to engage one, Jaina fired past him, making short work of the other. Beyond them, two more Burned fighters split off from a larger group to target them both, while a third dove straight down from above into Twelve, too quickly for a warning.

Fel set his teeth, grimly moving on to the next available target.

* * *

><p>"<em>Look at them all,<em>" Ben said over Anakin's headset. "_I can't even see the end of the column._"

In the upper turret of the _Millennium Falcon_, Anakin nodded in silent agreement with his cousin. The line of Burned ships stretched far back into the system, too far to see its end. The defensive ring of allied warships launched broadside after broadside into the incoming flame-painted vessels, but for every one they destroyed, it seemed three more were behind, intent on the massive gray Star Forge. They stayed mostly in line until a few dozen kilometers before the defensive line, where they split off to engage individual warships.

"_It's too bad Jacen's Death Star isn't here_," Han remarked. "_We could just fire the superlaser straight down the column and take out a whole bunch of them_."

"_Say again, _Falcon,_"_ Thrawn said over the comm.

Anakin could sense his father's surprise; apparently Han had accidentally left his comm open on the general frequency.

"_I, uh, said it's too bad we don't have the _Phoenix," Han repeated. "_A superlaser that strong would be handy right about now."_

There was a pause, then Thrawn began issuing a rapid stream of orders to the _Eclipse_-class vessels scattered about the battlefront, ordering them to assemble behind the _Executor_ with all speed.

"What's he doing?_"_ Anakin wondered aloud.

Chewbacca barked his theory, and as they all processed this, Anakin sensed in his father a manic grin identical to his own.

* * *

><p>In the war room, Ami could only stare at the suddenly active Grand Admiral Thrawn, totally confused as to what he was doing. She looked over at Corran, who shrugged, as mystified as she was.<p>

"This will require exactingly precise positioning and timing," Thrawn said thoughtfully, tapping at the keyboard of his console. He frowned. "I will need a more sophisticated computer to do the calculations in time."

"I can do it!" Blue Max piped up from within Bollux's chest cavity nearby. Ami turned in surprise; she had completely forgotten the droids were there. "I love geometry!"

"Plug into the simulator," Thrawn ordered with a quick gesture. He reached to his board again, toggling the intercom. "Master Organa Solo, we shall need your assistance with this."

As Thrawn continued to issue orders, positioning a number of their capital ships, Ami saw a sudden spark of realization cross Corran's face.

"What?" she asked him.

"I am very, very glad," he replied, clearly unnerved, "that he's on our side."

Finally Ami realized what was going on, and she felt her jaw drop in astonishment.

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett could hardly process his commander's strategy himself as he ordered the flagship into position. The mighty warship's ten thousand weapons emplacements lashed the incoming Burned ships with even greater ferocity, defending the slowly moving _Eclipse-_class vessels as they settled into position. _Executor_ herself formed the central ninth point in the formation, serving as the focusing point as well as adding her own power to the array.

The enemy commander - if there was one - seemed not to guess their strategy, for the Burned tactics remained unchanged: they continued to stream in, speeding for the Star Forge behind with intent to ram it. Only a few of the larger ships had made it through the lines, though with the enemy's penchant for simply ramming anything in their way to make room for their comrades, Piett knew the allied lines would not hold long, vastly outnumbered as they were.

Piett tensed in his command chair, awaiting the ready signal of the other ships. He could feel the now-familiar influence of Master Organa Solo spreading over himself and his bridge crew, sharpening their reflexes, reinforcing their discipline, and above all, synchronizing their movements with the other bridge crews of the fleet.

Finally, he heard the rapid tones as the eight _Eclipse_-class ships signaled their readiness, and an instant later, Thrawn's voice rang from the bridge speakers.

"_Fire!"_

Simultaneously, the eight _Eclipse-_class ships fired their superlaser weapons at an angle, the beams meeting only a half-kilometer from _Executor_'s prow, wreathing her for an instant in a cage of light. The moment the beams met, Piett gave the order for the flagship to fire her own superlaser, and the nine green lances joined into one huge ray of pure destructive power, screaming into the void straight down the center of the enemy column.

The results were as spectacular a display of destruction as Piett had ever seen in his decades of military service: the combined beam smashed through dozens, hundreds, thousands of enemy ships, obliterating a thousand kilometers of the column in an instant as it spread a great line of fire backwards into space like a solar flare.

Again Thrawn's voice rang from the comm.

"_Fire!"_

Around the assembled superlaser-equipped ships, the remaining Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers, Chiss capital ships, and frigates arranged in a broad oval behind the array opened fire with their own weapons, unleashing a hurricane of laser bolts into the surviving enemy ships. Again explosions bloomed out against the black backdrop of space, joining together in a great nebulous cloud of flame and debris.

When the fireball dissipated at last, Piett felt their victory was at hand: the Burned had been reduced to a mere fraction of their number, the few active ships heavily damaged. He expected them to begin their retreat at any moment.

But the Burned did not retreat.

The Burned did not surrender.

The Burned had nothing to lose.

Again Piett felt his spirits start to sink in the midst of victory, for as he watched, the surviving enemy warships charged with suicidal acceleration straight at their lines.

"Helm, emergency dive, full power!" Piett ordered urgently. "Fire control, destroy that ship!" he said, pointing at the flame-painted dreadnaught swooping towards them.

"Main weapon still recharging, sir!" the fire-control officer replied. "We can't fire it for another three minutes!"

"Then hit them with everything else!" Piett shouted back.

* * *

><p>Ben could only watch, sick with horror, as nearly a dozen frigate-sized Burned vessels slammed into two of the <em>Eclipse-<em>class ships, totally destroying them both. The other titanic warships struggled madly to dodge their opponents, firing with everything they had, but in only a few gut-wrenching moments every one of the superlaser-equipped ships but the _Executor_ had succumbed to repeated impacts from enemy vessels of all sizes. Even the flagship sustained several fighter crashes, but the durable warship stubbornly continued its dive, firing with all its functional weapons in frantic defense.

In the Force, Ben felt a droning, almost static buzzing, suffused with rage. The Burned had no sense of individuality, no fear of death; in their minds, the people they had once been were already dead, and all that was left was just more fuel for the fire. They saw themselves as merely instruments of their insane master's will.

"How do we fight this?" he whispered to himself. "How do we stop them?"

* * *

><p>Despite the efforts of the defending fleet, Luke felt the Star Forge rock again and again as more and more Burned ships hurled themselves into its hull.<p>

"We can't take much more of this!" he shouted to Mara over the howling alarms.

She shouted something back, but all he understood was "evacuate," and he nodded in agreement.

Another impact rattled the station, throwing both of them to the deck amidst the stormtroopers and Chiss marines. When the shaking finally subsided, Mara crawled over to him and pulled her face close to his, shouting over the still-wailing alarms.

"I don't think we have enough ships to get everyone off the station!" she yelled in his ear. "Most of our boarding craft were destroyed by the Vong or went back out to join the fight!"

"We are in a starship factory," Darth Vader's deep mechanical voice boomed above them. "If we do not have enough ships, we will _make _them."

Luke looked up at his father where he stood at the edge of the corridor, his boots spread wide and his cybernetic right arm holding him upright in one of the alcoves along the wall.

"Even the Star Forge doesn't work that fast!" Mara shouted back as she pulled herself upright, barely audible over the sirens. "We'd need a Star Destroyer to get us all out!"

"I saw one almost completed down in the factory," one of the Chiss marines yelled. "Revan shut the factories down for the battle, but if we start them back up again, we might able to finish that one in time."

Luke looked first at his father, then at his wife. He saw neither of them had a better idea, so he made the decision. "We go for it!" He turned to the marine. "Get on the comm to everyone you can, and tell them to head for that Star Destroyer as fast as possible."

"Where are the Sith?" Mara asked, looking around.

Indeed, they had all vanished; Luke saw none of them around where they had been only moments before.

"They're running back to their ship," said Vader.

Mara waved dismissively. "Then they're on their own. Let's move."

* * *

><p>In the viewing platform, Leia finally had to release her powers and stop her Battle Meditation. The troops on their side were too panicked and their enemies too full of rage for her to safely maintain her concentration. If she pressed any harder on their troops, she would be in danger of harming their minds, and she would not risk that.<p>

"I'm taking us back down," she heard Revan say just before she opened her eyes. "We're too much of a target up here."

At her other side, Jenn still sat on the deck, her posture rigid and her eyes open, glowing brightly with orange light. "I… can't hold them back," she said, strained. "There's… too many. Too many. I can almost hold them but… too many."

"What's she doing?" Leia asked as the room slowly lowered down on its smooth hydraulics back within the station's outer hull.

"The Burned out there are using their powers on our crews," Revan said over his shoulder as he worked at the console. "She's trying to use her link to absorb that power into herself instead."

Leia paused, thinking; that sounded quite similar to Corran's unique power, wherein he was able to absorb energy directed at him such as blaster bolts or explosive force. However…

"She can't hold that much energy inside herself for long," Leia said. "She'll have to release it or it'll consume her."

Corran himself had apparently reached the same conclusion, for just then he came charging into the viewing platform, legs pumping madly to bring himself up to their balcony. He reached them just as the hydraulics settled to a stop, and nearly fell over as he halted next to Jenn.

"Jenn, let it out!" he shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Don't hold it in!"

She did not respond. Jenn merely sat there breathing heavily, her eyes gleaming like torches, sweat pouring down her face. It could have been a trick of the light, but Leia thought her skin was starting to glow like the embers at the base of a fire.

"What do we do?" Leia asked urgently.

Corran looked frantically about the room, his eyes finally settling on the broad viewport, beyond which was nothing but the immense factories, kilometers of empty space below them. "Out there!"

He turned back to Jenn, grabbing her arm. "Jenn, let it go! Out there, through the viewport. Listen to me!" he urged, shaking her shoulder. "Through the viewport, now!"

Corran reached out toward the viewport with one hand, and Leia sensed him using the Force, trying to draw some of the pent-up energy out of Jenn and into himself. Finally Jenn responded, and she reached up to grab Corran's shoulder with one hand, stretching her other arm toward the viewport as he did.

Leia sensed the power roiling through both of them, and by unspoken agreement, she and Revan joined their powers to shield all four of them with the Force as a great blast of heat and flame burst out of Jenn and Corran, smashing the viewport into millions of shards and stretching far out into the cavernous factory below.

For what seemed like ages the blast continued, until finally it stopped and they slumped back in exhaustion, feeling the air rushing past them through the broken viewport.

Leia and Revan were both unhurt, and Corran seemed mostly unharmed, if a bit singed in a few places, his right sleeve especially blackened and still smoking.

Jenn lay gasping on the deck, nearly the entire left side of her tunic charred away, the skin beneath red and raw with severe burns. After a few tense moments, Leia realized she was conscious, reflexively drawing upon the Force to heal herself.

"I'll… I'll be all right," Jenn panted, the orange glow slowly fading from her eyes. She winced, her burned fingers twitching. "Just… give me a moment." Her eyes closed and she relaxed, but Leia sensed she was merely withdrawing into a healing trance.

Corran sat back against the railing of the balcony, breathing heavily. "That was too close."

Leia briefly nodded in agreement, then looked over at Revan. "Now what?"

He did not reply, hunched over his console intently listening to a comm transmission from Luke that Leia couldn't make out over the wind. As Revan listened, he worked at the command console, moving with hurried purpose.

* * *

><p>"All ships, fire at will!" Thrawn ordered, leaning over his console in the war room, eyes locked on the huge holographic projection above them.<p>

Ami watched as the allied fleet pursued the Burned with renewed purpose, firing again and again at the now aimlessly drifting vessels. Whatever Jenn had just done had succeeded in distracting most of the Burned, and the allies intended to take full advantage of this.

Slowly at first, then more and more rapidly as the allied warships kept up their bombardment, the icons representing the Burned warships winked out of the projection. Their numbers already greatly lessened by the combined superlaser blast, the Burned were gradually weakened until even Ami could tell they no longer posed a major threat.

But the damage was done: all the _Eclipse-_class ships had been destroyed, _Executor_ was heavily damaged and drifting, her main engines offline, and hundreds more of their ships had been destroyed or wrecked in the battle. Less than a third of the allied ships that had gathered here were still moving under their own power.

From where she sat, Ami could hear Thrawn and Revan talking over the comm, though she couldn't hear what was being said. However, she could sense enough anxiety in the room to know it wasn't good.

Finally the Grand Admiral straightened, paused for the space of one breath, and touched the intercom controls on his board again. "Thrawn to all hands," he began. "Prepare to evacuate the station. The orbital stabilizers were damaged in the battle, and we do not have sufficient time to repair them before the station's orbit of the sun decays. The radiation shields were also damaged, and we have less than fifteen minutes until they fail completely. Lord Vader and the Masters Skywalker are working to complete a Star Destroyer down in the factory; if you cannot get to a shuttle, proceed to their location with all speed. Thrawn out."

"Admiral, the turbolift to our section is offline," Ensign Thrien reported. "One of the enemy ships which attempted to ram our section was deflected aside, but its impact damaged the turbolift shaft; I have just come from looking for myself, and the shaft is completely blocked by debris. I do not think we could clear it before the radiation shields fail."

"So we're trapped here," one of the other officers said dejectedly.

"We are not out of options yet," said Thrawn. "Check for another open passage."

"Even if we get down there, can they get that Star Destroyer running in time?" Ami asked. "It's still in the factory for a reason. The start-up sequence alone would take more time than we have, I'd think."

"I can do it!" Blue Max piped up. "Plug me into that thing's bridge computer and I can get it running in three minutes flat. All we need are the thrusters, anyway."

"You sure?" Ami asked the little computer module.

"Girly, this kind of thing is what I was built for," Max replied, his red photoreceptor gleaming proudly. "You get me down there in time, and we can all get out of here before this place goes Star's End on us."

"Shiny," Ami said, reaching down to the lower edge of Bollux's open chest compartment. "Hop out, and we'll go right now."

"But the turbolift is blocked, Mistress Ami," Bollux cautioned. "How will you get there in time?"

Ami gave him a broad grin as she had an idea worthy of her Uncle Han. "The passage to the viewing platform is still open, Big B. We're not using the turbolift."

* * *

><p>Down in the factory, the bridge of the unfinished Star Destroyer was a hive of activity as Vader, Luke, Mara, and the troopers and marines with them worked quickly to bring the warship online.<p>

As she flipped on the helm console and waited for it to start up, Mara heard Luke's comlink buzz in the other crew pit. Their daughter's voice spoke indistinctly, and a moment later she sensed Luke tense in alarm.

"Amidala Beru Skywalker, don't you even think about it!" she heard him shout.

"_Too late!_" Ami replied, her voice distorted by what sounded like rushing wind.

"What's going on?" Mara asked, hurrying up the crew pit stairs to the command walkway, where Luke was already sprinting for the door.

"Ami's on her way down here from the command section with Blue Max," Luke panted as they ran.

"So?" Mara replied. "What's the problem?"

"She jumped!"

* * *

><p>As she hurtled headfirst down through the impossibly huge central factory section of the Star Forge, Blue Max screaming in electronic panic at her side, Ami thought incongruously that there should have been more wind. She wore the goggles and breath mask she always kept in compartments on her belt, but felt less wind than she had expected rushing through her hair and clothes.<p>

Finally it occurred to her that it would have been hugely impractical to pressurize this entire space, hundreds of cubic kilometers at least; any air she felt was just whatever had leaked into the factory from the rest of the station over the millennia, barely enough to give any resistance at all. It was fortunate, she reflected, that this also meant there was just enough to keep the factory from being in total vacuum.

This, of course, brought Ami's train of thought back around to what an incredibly dangerous thing she was doing, which was what she had started thinking about the wind to avoid. There really wasn't any other way to do this, though.

Such was the life of a Jedi, she thought.

* * *

><p>"She gets this from you," Luke said to Mara as they rode the maintenance lift through the Star Destroyer's conning tower to the outer hull.<p>

"She gets it from _you,_" Mara countered, pulling on her breath mask. "I'm not the one who jumped down that reactor shaft in Cloud City."

Luke had no reply for this, so he covered it by pretense of securing his own breath mask.

* * *

><p>Ami stretched out into the Force, doing her best to direct her descent to the conning tower of the Star Destroyer and also slow herself down somewhat. She hoped her parents would be there to catch her, but if not, smacking into the hull of their escape ship at high velocity was not exactly how she hoped to become one with the Force.<p>

It was difficult to tell at first, but slowly Ami felt herself slow down as she approached the angular white shape of the warship below her, now close enough that she could distinguish a pair of figures standing atop the conning tower near the bridge.

She continued to decelerate still more as she felt both her mother and her father use their powers on her, until finally she was close enough that the kilometer-long warship completely filled her field of vision.

Moments later, Ami worked with her parents to bring herself to a gentle stop a few meters away from them, dropping lightly to her feet on the broad white hull of the conning tower beside one of the huge spherical shield projectors.

"That was fun!" she exclaimed mischievously as she pulled off her goggles. "Can I do it again?"

The stricken looks on both Luke and Mara's faces and Blue Max's screeched, "No!" made it all worth it.

"Kidding!" she laughed. She pointed to the hatch behind them. "Let's get inside."

* * *

><p>Qeris and Jacen listened over her comlink as Thrawn and Darth Vader discussed how to evacuate the command section; the turbolift shaft had been blocked off by debris, and now Jacen's mother and the others were going to attempt to evacuate through the viewing platform viewports.<p>

"That's too long of a drop, and they've got wounded," Jacen said as they raced through the corridors, trying to get as close as they could to the command section. "It's a miracle Ami survived it. Even with Luke, Mara and Vader working to catch them, there's no guarantee they'd all make it. There has to be another way."

"What about the _Argent Hawk_?" Qeris said. "It should still be in one of the command level hangars."

"Yeah, but how do we get it inside the factory?" Jacen asked.

Qeris gave him a fierce grin. "Blast our way through, obviously."

Jacen grinned back. "I like the way you think!"

When they reached the hangar, they found a welcome surprise next to the _Hawk_: an X-wing fighter with a blue and white astromech droid already in the socket, bleeping excitedly as they entered.

"Get it started, Artoo!" Jacen shouted ahead. "Good thing Mom parked here," he said half to himself as they entered the hangar. He turned to Qeris. "All right, here's the plan: you take the X-wing and blast through to the factory. We extend the _Hawk_'s and the fighter's shields over both ships, and go full throttle the whole way to stay ahead of any collapses."

Qeris nodded crisply and turned to sprint to the fighter, whose engines were already whining through their start-up sequence. R2-D2 tweeted something at her as she approached and made a long Force-enhanced jump up to the cockpit.

As the cockpit closed, she buckled herself into the seat and opened a comm line to the _Hawk_. "Ready?"

"_Ready,"_ Jacen replied.

Gripping the control stick, Qeris lifted the X-wing free of the deck and opened the S-foils, moving her finger over the trigger. Artoo whistled and beeped something behind her, and one of the screens displayed a translation: everything was at full power, and he was extending their shields back over the _Argent Hawk _as Jacen did the same.

Qeris angled the fighter toward the back of the hangar and fired the wingtip cannons continuously, blowing away the back wall of the hangar. Debris flashed off of their reinforced shields, but they held.

Artoo helpfully brought up a scan of the section on one of the other monitors, showing her that only half a kilometer lay between them and the open space of the factory. Qeris kept firing, depending on the droid to give her directions from the sensors as they flew through a continuous cloud of fire and disintegrating metal.

In only a few tense moments, they were through, soaring through the gigantic open space of the factory, only dimly lit with distant, slowly flashing yellow lights. A haze of smoke obscured the edges of the space, making it difficult to see, but again Artoo came through, pointing out the retracted viewing platform several kilometers away.

* * *

><p>Leia waited with the others next to the blasted-out viewport in the viewing platform, half listening to the running conversation behind her between Revan, Thrawn, and Vader down in the Star Destroyer.<p>

"_The remaining troops have all boarded,_" Vader was saying. "_To my knowledge, your group are the only ones left on the station._ _The thrusters are operational, and we are lifting free of the docking area."_ Vader paused briefly. "_How long until the radiation shields fail?_"

"Less than five minutes," Thrawn replied. "The orbital stabilizers could go any moment."

"_We're having some trouble getting the outer doors open,"_ said Luke. "_Can you do anything from your end?_"

Revan shook his head. "We've taken a lot of damage; my control console is barely working up here. Are your turbolasers functional?"

"_They were never installed,"_ Mara replied. "_Basically all we've got on this hulk is thrusters and life support."_

Just then Leia heard the howl of starship engines, and she turned to see the upper edge of the _Argent Hawk_ rising slowly into view. A moment later she could see her son in the cockpit, lit by the glow of his monitors, concentrating as he very carefully positioned the ship to place the bottom of the boarding ramp on the melted lower edge of the viewport. Beyond him, Leia could see the X-wing she had flown here hovering nearby.

"_Start for the outer doors, Uncle Luke,"_ Jacen said over the comm. "_We'll catch up on the way._"

Thrawn, his aides, and the troopers with them hurried up the ramp, followed quickly by Corran and Bollux. Revan carefully took the still-unconscious Jenn in his arms and headed for the ship, pausing for just an instant to look back. Then he turned away and moved inside the _Hawk_, with Leia only a pace behind.

* * *

><p>Qeris raced for the distant outer doors, flipping through the switches on the X-wing's weapons board. She settled back in the seat, waiting as the targeting computer extended out and whirred into position over her left eye, and shifted her fingers on the control stick.<p>

Finally the targeting computer's display flashed and it beeped, and Qeris fired a spread of proton torpedoes at the stuck-shut doors, permitting herself a triumphant grin as they blasted a huge hole out into space.

But after a moment, her grin faded. "Damn, it's too small!"

Even as her mind raced, trying to come up with some way to broaden the opening, Qeris saw a flicker of motion outside, and Artoo shrieked in delight. Silhouetted against the filtered glare of the sun below them, the familiar outline of the _Millennium Falcon_ swooped into view, followed by two squadrons of fighters, one TIE Interceptors and the other X-wings.

"_Get clear!"_ General Solo transmitted, and Qeris complied, pulling the fighter straight up and away from the doors.

Below her, fire and debris drifted inside as Blue Squadron, Rogue Squadron, and the _Falcon_ blasted their way in. Qeris continued her looping arc, flying upside down relative to the slowly approaching Star Destroyer, and watched as the _Falcon_ twisted through a smuggler's turn a quarter-kilometer inside and turned to face the doors again, firing repeatedly with all of its considerable armament. The fighters followed suit, and soon the opening was large enough for the Star Destroyer, only seconds ahead of its approach.

Qeris finished her loop and followed the squadrons back outside, dropping into position a dozen meters to the left of Jaina's unique fighter. Jacen's sister saw her and gave her a quick wave, which Qeris returned with a smile.

Behind them, the Star Destroyer emerged from the station like a surfacing leviathan, speeding away as fast as its engines could push it.

* * *

><p>When they were a safe distance away, nearly to the rest of the fleet, Revan asked Jacen to turn the <em>Hawk<em> to look back at the Star Forge.

Behind them, Leia leaned forward in her seat to watch as the station slowly, almost gracefully sank down toward the sun. Eventually, as its systems failed and its great reactor went into overload, the Star Forge exploded, flinging huge plumes of fire and debris out into the night. The star claimed the remains, pulling them down with glowing grasping arms into the roiling nuclear fire.

Jacen turned to Revan. "Now what do we do?"

But instead of the Jedi Master, Grand Admiral Thrawn answered from where he stood in the cockpit hatchway.

"We have been dealt a heavy blow today, it is true," he said. "But we have our skills, we have ships… and we know where our enemy is." Thrawn's glowing red eyes glittered as he watched the wreckage fall.

"Now we strike back."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I know I keep saying this, but I had far too much fun writing this chapter. :D Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	33. Fallout

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Three<strong>  
>(Fallout)<p>

Mara sat in a chair in _Executor_'s green-walled, antiseptic-smelling med-bay, one elbow on the armrest, her head resting in her hand with her fingers pushed into her hair. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept; the wall chronometer said it was well after midnight, ship's time, and it felt like it.

The minor wounds she'd taken in the day's sustained fighting had been patched up, but now Mara sat next to Jenn's bed, waiting for her to wake up. Jenn lay sleeping on the bio-bed, her left arm and chest swathed with bacta-infused bandages. Revan sat in another chair on the other side of the bed, leaned back with his head resting against the wall, also asleep.

It seemed like everyone was just sitting around waiting to be patched up tonight. They'd survived not one but two vicious battles today, and though most of them were still standing, Mara felt like everything was just going to collapse at any moment.

Their Star Forge was gone.

She and Luke and so many others had gone through so much effort to acquire it, had fought so hard to keep it, their one hope to produce enough ships to stand against the unending fleets of the Vong and now Pyrron's fire cult. Now it was gone, nothing but a cloud of wreckage slowly consumed by the sun which had once fueled it. They didn't even have most of the ships they'd built with it anymore; nearly two-thirds of the allied fleet gathered in the Lehon system had been destroyed today.

Mara sensed her nephew approaching a moment before he entered the room. Jacen still wore his armor and cloak, both of which were singed, stained and charred from his own battles. He propped his forearm in the doorway and leaned on it, gesturing with his other hand to where Jenn lay beneath the translucent oval-domed force-field over the bed.

"Any change?" Jacen asked quietly, sounding even more tired than Mara felt.

She shook her head silently.

"Dad's on his way to Terminus to contact the Republic, so we'll know what's going on there soon," he said. "I'm leaving myself in a few hours. The complex on Yotuunhym has the only Rakatan computer left that we know of, and I want to see what I can learn from it." He looked over at her. "The _Phoenix_ is on its way out to Pyrron's Star Forge right now, and I want some good intel before I go catch up with it."

"You mean before _we_ catch up with it," Mara said, sitting up. "If you're going off to take on the fire cult, I'm going with you."

Jacen nodded once in acceptance. "It's our only chance now," he said. "The longer we wait, the more ships Pyrron will be able to make." He paused for a moment, seeming uncomfortable. "Hey, where's Uncle Luke?" he said, attempting to sound casual. "I, uh, need to talk to him."

"I told him to go to bed hours ago, but I doubt he did," Mara replied. "He's probably around here somewhere." She started to reach for her comlink. "You want me to call him?"

"No, I'll find him," Jacen said. "You get some rest."

Mara shrugged wearily. "If I can."

Surprising her, Jacen reached down to pat her shoulder and smiled before he left.

* * *

><p>In one of <em>Executor<em>'s hangar bays, Jaina lay on a repulsor-lift mechanic's creeper beneath her fighter, elbow-deep in an access panel on its underside.

"How about now?" she called.

R2-D2 whistled back a reply, and Jaina grumbled to herself, sorting through the wiring again.

"Well, _something_'s causing this power loss in the number three engine, and I don't believe in gremlins," she said around the miniature flashlight clenched between her teeth.

"Neither do I," Jag Fel's voice said from somewhere near her feet. "And yet, sometimes things just go wrong for no apparent reason." She looked over to see him crouching down. "Need a hand?"

"Hand me that number six hydrospanner, would you?" Jaina asked, reaching out with one hand. "Thanks," she said when he placed the tool in her palm.

"I thought this was so fresh out of the factory the paint was barely dry," Fel said with a slight hint of teasing. "Don't tell me there's a curse on your family's ships."

"Ha ha," Jaina muttered sourly. "No, it's because I never got the chance to take this thing for a proper trial run. It's just a prototype to see if the design worked; I never thought I'd have to take this one out into actual combat."

"How long have you been working on it?" Fel asked.

"Since the first time I sat down in an Interceptor and saw everything that's wrong with them," Jaina replied. "Your newer-model ones may have shields and hyperdrives, but they're still no match for an X-wing, and the Chiss clawcraft leaves both of them in the dust." She squinted up into the mass of wiring for a moment, trying to find the short. She could _smell_ it, but still couldn't find it. "So, I figured I'd take the best of each and put 'em all together into something new. I sent the plans ahead to Revan a few days ago, and this was waiting for me when we boarded the station."

"I'm surprised the Chiss haven't already built something like this," Fel remarked. "They don't just steal your technology; they make it better."

Jaina shrugged. "Yeah, well, if Thrawn had ended up working for the Alliance instead of the Empire and had brought X-wings back to the Ascendancy instead of TIEs, this probably is what clawcraft would look like." Finally, she located the short, and, setting the hydrospanner aside, flipped out the requisite attachment on her multitool and went to work.

"Now there's a thought," said Fel. "How would things be now if Thrawn had joined the Rebellion instead?"

"I wouldn't have," said the Grand Admiral himself, startling them both. "The Rebellion never had the resources I needed, nor were they organized enough to assist me with my other plans."

Jaina pulled her mechanic's creeper out from under the fighter and stood, finding Thrawn standing a few paces away with his hands clasped behind his back, running a critical eye over her fighter.

"An impressive design," he said. "Several squadrons of them would be quite an asset."

Jaina grinned, knowing this was high praise indeed. "Unfortunately, it looks like this is going to be the only one for a while," she said. "Unless you can make some with the automated factories."

"The _Executor_'s factories are offline," Thrawn replied. "As are many other systems. We will have to effect repairs along the way once the hyperdrive is back online."

"So you're taking the _Executor_ out to fight Pyrron, sir?" Fel asked.

"As soon as possible, Colonel," Thrawn replied with a brief nod. "Commander Solo's Phoenix Fleet is already underway, and what remains of Vanguard Fleet will join them when we are able." He paused, frowning slightly. "I hope to take substantial elements of both the Republic and Imperial fleets with me, but at this time, that seems… unlikely."

"What's the problem?" Jaina asked, puzzled.

"The Bothan Senator," Thrawn replied, and though it was restrained, Jaina sensed in him a feeling of annoyed contempt. "The conference is stalled while he and his supporters further debate the terms of the treaty before submitting it for ratification."

"Meaning our fleet is stuck at the border," Fel said sourly. "And taking it through the Unknown Regions instead would take three times as long, so we'd never get out to the satellite galaxy in time to do any good." He sighed in frustration. "Lord Vader once threatened to disband the Senate, and I completely understand why."

"The Imperial Senate is already poised to ratify the treaty," Thrawn replied mildly. "The fault for the delay lies entirely with the Republic."

Jaina wanted to disagree, but honestly knew she couldn't; the proposed joint task force would already be on its way through the satellite galaxies if not for Fey'lya's feet-dragging. "So what do we do now?" she asked.

"Your brother is organizing a mission to a planet in Chiss space known to have a functioning Rakatan computer," Thrawn said. "I intend to accompany him to learn what more I can about this fire cult. Information about them is proving somewhat elusive."

"Count me in when you head out to take them on," said Jaina. "The pyros are our biggest threat now that the Vong are gone."

Thrawn did not reply to this, instead looking over the fighter behind her at the wide mouth of the hangar bay.

Jaina turned to see an incoming vessel, noting the sleek, sinister black lines of the Sith starship. "Oh, _now_ they come back," she said derisively. "I thought they ran like nerfs when we evacuated."

"Their leader claims they have fought the Burned at a number of their hidden bases," Thrawn said. "They may have useful information."

Jaina merely shrugged, then sat down on her mechanic's creeper and went back to work.

* * *

><p>Unable to sleep, Luke paced the hydroponics bay, the incongruous garden in the midst of his father's warship. He turned at the sound of the door opening, and saw his nephew enter the artificial grove of fruit trees, looking around.<p>

Though he still wore his black armor and cloak, Jacen's hair was currently mussed out of his recently adopted severe military style, making him look more like himself - or at least, the way Luke was used to seeing him.

Finally Jacen saw him, and Luke remained where he was as his nephew approached.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I was wondering if we could talk."

Luke noted the oddly tense quality in his nephew's voice, something else he wasn't used to. "Is something bothering you?" he asked.

Jacen paused momentarily, taking a breath before he replied. "I wanted to apologize," he said. "I've been… avoiding you, and that was wrong of me."

"You've been through a trauma," Luke said gently. "It's understandable."

Jacen inclined his head slightly. "Understandable… but still wrong. I've been operating without your oversight recently, and since I am still your apprentice, that too was wrong of me." He paused again, as if trying to decide on his exact wording. "Though the officers of Phoenix Fleet have chosen me as their commander, I will tell them to follow your authority, Master Skywalker."

"So you still intend to become a Jedi Knight?" Luke asked, crossing his arms.

Jacen paused in surprise, as if it hadn't occurred to him that this might be in question. "Yes, of course." He took another slow breath. "I will accept whatever judgment you have for me."

Luke held his gaze for a long moment, gauging his sincerity. "You brushed the Dark Side, it's true," he said, "but you rejected it, and that's a test many have failed." He uncrossed his arms and gestured to the entryway. "You're a powerful man now, in more ways than one. It took great humility to walk through that door and offer to give up your power, and it showed courage as well."

He reached out to clasp Jacen's shoulder, and smiled. "You've seen the Dark Side and turned away from it; that makes you a true Jedi. You've acknowledged your mistakes and sought to correct them; that makes you a man. In the last few months, you've learned everything I had hoped to teach you."

Jacen smiled modestly, and Luke was further assured by this that his decision was the right one.

"This is neither the time or place for an official ceremony," he went on, "but as far as I'm concerned, you're a Jedi Knight now."

Surprised, Jacen smiled again. "Thank you, Master Skywalker… Uncle Luke."

Luke nodded once, letting his hand drop back to his side. "I had hoped it wouldn't be so abrupt, but… you've entered a much larger world."

* * *

><p>As soon as her shuttle landed at the Royal Palace on Alderaan, Malysa Kolos went straight down to the cells where the captured fire cultists were being kept. There she met Kam Solusar, Tionne, and Tahiri, who stood before the one-way mirror watching one of the cultists. The tattooed Twi'lek, still in her ash-gray robe, lay on the floor of the cell, completely motionless. Only the slow rise and fall of her chest and the occasional blinking of her eyes gave sign that she was alive.<p>

"Have either of them said anything useful?" Malysa asked as she walked over to stand next to them, looking down into the cell.

"No," Kam replied. "Both of them stay like this almost all the time. Sometimes they wake up for a few minutes, but they haven't said anything yet."

"Have you heard anything from Ami?" Tahiri asked, turning to her.

"She's fine," Malysa replied with a light smile. "She's carrying on the family tradition of insane stunts that shouldn't work but do." She allowed her smile to fade, looking back up at Kam. "I talked to Han for a few minutes before I left Ziost. He says the Vong are gone… supposedly," she said, echoing his skepticism. "They made it through in one piece, more or less, but they lost the Star Forge, and a lot of ships along with it. Now they plan to head out and take the fight to Pyrron before he can manufacture another fleet."

"Assuming he doesn't have one on the way already," Kam said grimly.

"If the Senate doesn't ratify the treaty soon, they won't be able to take the Republic and Imperial navies with them," said Tionne.

"The Bothans are _still_ stalling?" Malysa said incredulously. "Unbelievable."

"Fey'lya is planning something," said Kam. "Something big."

Malysa sighed. "Then we should find out what it is, before it's too late."

* * *

><p>Mara only realized she'd dozed off when a voice woke her. She sat up, blinking, and saw Jenn looking back at her from the bio-bed with an amused - though still very tired - smile.<p>

"Pardon?"

"I said I'm feeling much better, if you want a turn in this thing," Jenn said.

Mara laughed lightly. "Don't tempt me." She stood and walked over to turn off the force-field, noting that Revan had left at some point. "You do look better," she remarked. "Now you're just regular instead of extra crispy."

Jenn sat up, wincing as she inadvertently put weight on her bandaged arm. "I'm getting very tired of this."

"What, the war?" Mara asked.

"That, too," Jenn replied as she leaned back against the pillows. "No, I meant waking up in strange med-centers."

"The first step is admitting you have a problem," Mara said with a slight smile.

Jenn chuckled at that, then her expression turned serious. "We have a plan for what to do next yet?"

"As soon as what's left of the fleet is operational," Mara answered, "they're heading to Terminus and from there to Belkadan. We estimate we'll catch up with the _Phoenix_ somewhere near Companion Aurek, and from there we'll head straight to Grek and take out Pyrron's Star Forge."

"The Senate get their heads out of their exhaust ports yet?" Jenn asked.

"Business as usual," Mara replied, not bothering to hide her exasperation.

Jenn frowned, then shrugged. "It figures."

Mara sensed Jacen approaching a moment before he leaned his head and shoulders into the open doorway. "We're just about to leave if you're ready- Hey, you're awake," he said, turning to Jenn.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Yotuunhym, to gather intel," he answered.

Jenn sat up straighter, looking around for her clothes. "Let me get dressed, and I'll come with you."

Jacen hesitated. "Maybe you should-"

"I'm fine," Jenn interrupted. "I'll be even more fine by the time we get there." She raised her right hand to point at him. "And don't try leaving without me, either."

Jacen just shrugged and gave them both a Han Solo grin. "Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

><p>Leia stood near the back of Thrawn's command room, waiting for him and the others he'd called to this meeting to arrive. As she waited, she looked at the twisted metal sculpture she had retrieved from the ruins of Sernpidal, walking around it in a slow circle.<p>

Why had Pyrron left this there? Was it a message, a warning that he would do the same to all the planets of the galaxy if left unchecked? The Burned had proven that they could sneak agents into even Alderaan and Coruscant, but no destruction on this scale had been wreaked there. Instead, they had confined themselves recently to more or less conventional warfare.

Leia wondered why. Why use ships, technology, when they had proven they could do so much more damage with the power of the Force? The Republic was vulnerable; Jedi had difficulty sensing the Burned unless they were very close by, so the fire cult could strike almost any planet the way they had Sernpidal and Osarian with impunity. Why hadn't they taken advantage of this?

"A curious piece," Thrawn's voice said behind her. "It gives away many of the artist's feelings, some of them rather obviously, yet attempts to hide others." He walked around his desk and stopped in front of the three-meter-tall sculpture, looking down at its base. "From a purely artistic standpoint, this is one of the more enigmatic pieces I have encountered."

Leia pursed her lips, following one twist of metal from the base to the top with her eyes. "All I can think about when I see this was how completely everything was destroyed around it."

"The context of the original presentation is indeed important," Thrawn allowed. "In its original placement, this sculpture was a boast. Pyrron is arrogant, and with this piece, he intended to declare his strength. Yet…" He passed his hand over one grouping of flame-shaped metal twists. "There is… fear. A primal, almost paralyzing fear. Pyrron is greatly afraid of something." He frowned slightly, dropping his hands to clasp them behind his back. "When I discern what it is… I will know where best to strike him."

Leia saw the gleam in Thrawn's eye and repressed a shudder. It was the same grim, almost manic determination she had seen when he had threatened her on board the Star Forge; he was intent on this, frighteningly so, and was willing to do anything in his power to accomplish his goal. To get in his way would be… unwise.

As several officers filed in to receive their orders before Thrawn left for Yotuunhym, Leia found that her attention remained on the Grand Admiral. Their most desperate battle, she sensed, lay yet in front of them. Tensions had been high during the battle for the Star Forge, even for the normally collected Thrawn, and his desperation to end the battle was understandable from a certain point of view.

But what if it happened again? She had worked with Thrawn frequently in this war, and they made an effective team, but what if they found themselves at cross purposes again? This man had been her enemy before; if he threatened her again, what would she do? Leia found she had no clear answer for this, and knew merely hoping it would not happen was foolish.

Others could dismiss vague unease as just nerves. But not Jedi.

* * *

><p>"You know, I'm really getting tired of cold planets," Mara remarked to Luke moments after the <em>Argent Hawk<em> touched down on Yotuunhym. "When this is over, we're taking a nice long vacation somewhere tropical."

Luke smiled as he pulled on his heavy green overcoat. "I have been meaning to visit Tatooine again."

Mara gave him a look. "I said tropical, not miserable aeon desert."

"How would you know?" Luke said playfully. "You've never even been there."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "I've never been to Raxus Prime, either."

Luke chuckled, feigning indignation. "Tatooine is _not_ a planet-wide garbage dump."

"No," Mara said with a playful smirk as she shrugged into her brown overcoat. "It's worse."

"It really is," Revan remarked as he entered the compartment, adjusting the sleeves of his own black heavy coat. "Vicious wildlife, hostile environment, even more hostile natives… The fact that you survived growing up there means you're tougher than you look, Skywalker." He grinned mischievously.

"What is this, pick on Luke day?" Luke wondered aloud, though he was unable to hold back his own smile; he appreciated a bit of levity after a day like yesterday.

"Speaking of vicious wildlife," Jenn said, entering the compartment from the other entrance. "Some kind of creature lives in the woods around these temples, and they don't like people going inside. They didn't bother me on my last visit, but I think it'd be prudent to keep an eye on the sensors and keep the engines primed in case we need to leave in a hurry."

"I agree," Luke said, looking back at the other Jedi Master with concern.

Jenn had spent most of the trip out here in a healing trance, and by all appearances seemed back to normal, but Luke could see the upper edge of healed burn scarring just above the collar of her blue tunic. She usually wore long sleeves and light gloves anyway, so he wasn't sure, but from what he had seen of her injuries it was likely Jenn had permanent scarring over her entire left arm. Luke unconsciously flexed the fingers of his artificial right hand, wondering what other scars they would all end up with by the time this was over.

Outside, in the clearing around the ancient stone temple, Luke saw Thrawn and Vader standing near their _Lambda-_class shuttle along with a small contingent of stormtroopers. On its other side sat the third vessel in their small convoy, the black Sith starship. Its thirteen black-cloaked occupants stood silently in front of it, waiting for the others.

"Don't they know it's rude to show up without an invitation?" Mara murmured darkly behind him.

"Shocking, really," Jenn said dryly. "Sith are normally so considerate."

The others who had come along on this mission - Jacen, Qeris, and Danni Quee - filed out of the _Argent Hawk_ behind them. Luke left Artoo behind to watch the sensors. He could sense something moving around in the woods and paused to listen for a moment, but felt no immediate danger, so he headed inside with the group.

Inside the temple, he found that most of the group had gone ahead deeper into the structure, but Jenn remained behind, standing near the middle of the large rectangular entryway, several meters in front of the rough stone sarcophagus at the back of the room.

"What is it?" Luke asked her.

"This is where one of Pyrron's acolytes first appeared to me," Jenn replied. "I know now that his ship was in orbit at the time, hiding from our sensors behind the moon, but I still feel something here, some trace of him."

Luke stopped next to her. "Do you think it goes both ways?"

"Can he sense what we're planning through my link with him, you mean?" Jenn said, looking at him sidelong. She shook her head briefly. "No, I don't think it works like that." She sighed. "I still can't quite describe it, exactly, but… I think it's possible he can't sense me anymore, any of us four who were on the _Sabre, _even with his powers amplified by his Star Forge_._ I think that's why he sent agents after us on Alderaan. We four are… dangerous to him, and he wants to eliminate us before we figure out how."

She sighed again, the breath hissing out between her teeth. "It's like trying to put together a puzzle without being able to see all the pieces, or even knowing some of the pieces _are_ pieces."

"We'll figure it out," Luke said with an encouraging smile.

Jenn took another slow breath. "We'd better."

Luke's comlink buzzed, and when he answered it, Artoo whistled and beeped, informing them that the Chiss military satellite in orbit had just hailed both the _Hawk_ and Thrawn's shuttle.

"A message from Han?" Luke said. "Put it through."

* * *

><p>Qeris could sense Jacen resisting the urge to pace impatiently as Danni Quee and Revan worked at the Rakatan computer in the cool, dim stone-walled chamber, lit only by the skylight and some portable luma-globes they'd brought with them. The two of them stood off to one side, idly looking around at the others who milled around the broad room with the console in the center.<p>

Jacen pulled off one of his gloves and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing several locks even more out of place. "I'm going to need a trim soon," he remarked to her, mostly just to make conversation.

Qeris smiled. "No, leave it," she said. "I like you a little scruffy-looking."

Jacen laughed at that, attracting the attention of a few of the hooded Sith, but he ignored them.

"What?" she asked. "Why is that so funny?"

He grinned. "I'll tell you later." He passed his thumb down the side of his beard, which he also hadn't trimmed in a couple of weeks, and looked at her with an amused gleam in his eye. "I thought you liked me looking all soldierly. That way we go together."

Qeris smiled again. "I may be a soldier, but you are not."

Jacen seemed surprised by this. "I'm not?"

She let her smile fade into a more serious expression. "No." She gestured to his armor. "Even though you lead an army now, you are not a soldier. You are a Jedi."

Jacen nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose there is a difference, isn't there?"

"There is," Qeris affirmed. "Remember that when it comes time for you to lead your army in battle again."

"I will," he said, reaching over to take her hand briefly, and smiled again.

They both turned back toward the computer at almost the same instant as they sensed surprise from Revan, a feeling which slowly turned to something approaching dread.

"What's wrong?" Mara asked, having also sensed it.

"I managed to establish a connection between this computer and the second Star Forge," Revan said, his voice subdued.

Mara's brows rose inquiringly. "And that's bad news because…?"

"Judging by these production numbers," Revan answered, "the fleet we fought at Lehon was just a fraction of the ships he's made so far. He already has enough ships and troops for a fleet three times that size."

"This makes getting the _Phoenix_ to the satellite galaxy all the more imperative," Vader rumbled, turning his mask toward Revan.

Revan looked back at him and shook his head. "No, you don't understand. This fleet has already left Companion Grek. The first wave has been underway for three days already."

Jacen sighed in frustration. "And unless we happen to catch them during one of their hyperspace recalculations, intercepting them on the way here would be almost impossible."

"I agree," said Thrawn. "The prime vector for entering Republic space from outside the galaxy is near the Belkadan system; I recommend massing as many ships as we are able to muster there, in case Vanguard and Phoenix groups are not able to destroy the second Star Forge before the Burned fleet's arrival."

"That's not the worst of it," Luke said as he walked into the room with Jenn, holding up his comlink with one hand. "I just got a message from Han: the Republic Senate voted on the treaty of alliance with the Empire three hours ago."

Even without what she sensed of his emotions through the Force, Qeris could see Master Skywalker visibly attempting to keep himself calm.

"It failed by fifty votes. There will be no alliance."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. Till next time, thanks for reading.<p> 


	34. Plan of Attack

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Four<strong>  
>(Plan of Attack)<p>

With great difficulty, Mara managed to resist the urge to curse very loudly. However, several others gathered in the computer room deep within the Rakatan temple on Yotuunhym did not show similar restraint.

Several meters away, Thrawn was coldly furious, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "It seems I must now adjust my strategy," he said frostily. He looked over at the looming dark figure beside him. "It is unfortunate, Lord Vader, that you did not exterminate the Bothans as you once threatened."

Vader's deep, measured breathing echoed slightly from the stone walls. "You are correct, Admiral," he agreed, his tone equally frigid.

Mara knew she should object, but at the moment, she couldn't quite find the words. Borsk Fey'lya had just torpedoed their best chance against Pyrron's hordes, and why? She could think of no logical reason to reject an alliance with the Empire at this juncture, when their fleet was needed in the fight now more than ever.

"What happened?" Qeris asked.

"Han sent a copy of the official report on the vote along with his message," Luke said to her. "Artoo's bringing it in now."

"What are we going to do?" said Danni. "This fleet on the way is too much for even the entire New Republic navy to handle. Without the Empire's ships…"

"It'll be a massacre," Jacen said bleakly.

"Not if we get to the Star Forge first," Jenn said resolutely. "I've been thinking about this for a while now, and if I'm right, Pyrron exerts almost complete control over everyone in the cult, especially in battle; if we take him out, his fleet will crumble."

"What if you're wrong?" Glaechyk countered. "What if we destroy this Burned Lord and his fleet keeps coming anyway? What do we do then?"

Jenn gave the Sith Lord a stony look. "We fight them."

R2-D2 rolled inside the computer room, beeping as he came to a stop next to Luke.

"Fey'lya made a speech to the Senate just before the vote," Luke said.

Artoo's holoprojector whirred to life, showing a wide shot of the Senate rotunda before zooming in to focus on one of the large screens. Fey'lya looked smug as he placed his hands on either side of his podium.

"_My fellow Senators, this is a time for rejoicing!_" he began. _"The reports coming in from Lehon indicate that the Yuuzhan Vong were completely routed there. They no longer pose any significant threat to the Republic. Therefore, this alliance with the Empire is clearly no longer necessary, and I propose we dissolve this conference immediately."_

"_What of the reports of the second fleet at Lehon?_" Emperor Fel objected, standing. "_This Burned cult has clearly been arming itself, preparing to take advantage of the situation to launch their own assault against the galaxy. The alliance is even more imperative now!"_

Fey'lya sneered. "_Ah, yes, the supposed fire cult, evidence of which has been conveniently scarce. We have only the word of Darth Vader and the rest of the Skywalker clan that this cult even exists, and they have obvious reasons for exaggerating the threat. No, Lord Fel, this alliance is no longer necessary, and it is my recommendation that you and your troops depart from our space as quickly as possible to see to your own affairs. The Republic has rebuilding to do, and your presence is alarming to the common people._"

An argument started at that between the Imperial delegation and several Republic Senators, but the recording ended shortly afterward.

The shot shifted to Han in the cockpit of the _Falcon._ "_The Chancellor rejected his proposal to dismiss the conference and went ahead with the vote, but the damage was done already,_" he said, his anger plain on his face. "_After the treaty failed, Fey'lya's majority demanded that the Imperials be sent packing. I'll stay here for a little while to relay any more messages, but I'm heading for Belkadan soon, so I'll meet up with you there._"

"I had hoped it wouldn't, but I expected something like this to happen," said Thrawn. "I have been making contingency plans in case the Republic proved unreliable."

"As it always does," one of the Sith sneered. "The New Republic is just as useless as the one Palpatine and Lord Vader dissolved. I say we fall back to the Empire and let the Rebel fools get what's coming to them."

"The Burned intend to convert or destroy _everyone_ in the galaxy," Jacen said with strained patience. "Allowing them to conquer the Republic would only give them more time to strengthen themselves further." He raised a hand to point at the Sith who had spoken and his comrades behind him. "As you're so fond of saying, technology is insignificant next to the power of the Force. These people have a power in the Force that we still do not fully understand, one which allows them to incinerate the surface of entire planets."

Jacen gestured upwards, in the direction of space. "Their technology, their ships and weapons, are merely safeguards against our own armies. It's my guess that they've built up their fleet because they knew we were going to find out about them eventually. When they start their purge in earnest, we'll hunt them down and try to stop them, and they know it. On each world, they'll hold us back with their ships, and slow down our soldiers and our Jedi, Imperial Knights, and other warriors with their clone armies, while their Burned Lord and his followers use their power to destroy the planet and our army along with it." He smacked one gloved fist solidly into his other palm. "If we fight them in a conventional war, we will lose. A full-scale campaign is not the solution here."

"I agree," said Luke. "There's a reason the Empire was never able to crush the Rebellion completely even though they had the resources of an entire galaxy to throw at us. We wouldn't give them a fair fight with our whole fleet. We ran when we had to, hid when we had to, made them underestimate us so they wouldn't expect us to attack where we did. We defeated the _Executor_ at Yavin with two squadrons of fighters because its defenses were designed to protect against other capital ships, not ships small enough to fly through the weaker areas of the shields and fast enough to evade the turbolasers. They didn't consider us to be a threat, and we proved them wrong."

"So what are you proposing, Master Skywalker?" Glaechyk asked skeptically. "We launch a fighter attack against the second Star Forge? They have fighters as well, and these so-called 'embers' who can incinerate our pilots within their ships. In addition, their Star Forge has an impenetrable, inexhaustible shield powered by nothing less than a sun; they can simply turn it on and throw wave after wave of ships at us until our entire fleet is destroyed."

"Not if someone brings it down from the inside," Jenn said, stepping forward. "Jacen has already sent his Death Star on ahead; all we have to do is protect it from their fleet once it arrives at the second Star Forge, bring down the shield, and use the superlaser to destroy the station."

"And how are you going to do that?" the Zeltron Sith said contemptuously. "These Burned are linked to their master, and they can sense the difference between their own and others."

Jenn raised her gloved left hand, placed the tips of her first two fingers beneath her thumb, then made a flicking gesture. A tiny fireball appeared above her fingers, and simultaneously, her eyes flared with a bright orange light. "I can blend in," she said. "I've been thinking about this link I gained with the fire cult when Pyrron attacked me. When I cut myself off from the Force and Sekot restored my connection, it somehow gave me control over the link. I can… turn it on," she closed her hand, the fireball disappeared, and the light faded from her eyes, "and off. I can get inside without being noticed."

Revan looked over at her, concerned. "Are you sure?"

Jenn nodded once, her expression grave. "I can stay unnoticed at least long enough to bring down the shield. If I can get to him, I might be able to take out Pyrron, too."

The Zeltron scoffed loudly. "A weakling Light-Sider like you? You don't look strong enough to fight off an annoyed nerf. You should send a _real_ warrior like me."

"Do you know who this woman is?" Revan snapped at her. "She was my third-in-command in the Mandalorian Wars. She fought her way, _alone_, through an entire base of Sith on Malachor V. She defeated _three_ Sith Lords, all of them darker and stronger than you could ever hope to be. You think you know true darkness?" He gestured to himself with one hand. "I've _been_ true darkness, and still I say Jenn is stronger than me, because even with all she's been through, more pain than you can even imagine, _she never fell._" Revan pointed emphatically at his friend. "_That_ is true strength."

He took a step toward the Zeltron and pointed at her, his expression smoldering with fury. "You think you're a real warrior? You're not even a real Sith. You're nothing but an arrogant thug in a trashy leather outfit. You _will not_ insult my friend again."

The Zeltron gave him a look of pure hate, but merely folded her arms and said nothing.

Revan looked around at the other Sith. "Now," he said, "is there going to be any more pointless posturing, or are we going to get back to work?"

The cloaked figures remained silent.

Thrawn broke the silence. "We should leave this place," he said, gesturing to the entryway. "We have learned what we came here to learn. We should get started on the journey out as soon as possible."

As everyone filed out of the room, Mara went over to Revan. "Thanks," she said quietly to him. "Someone needed to say all that."

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," he admitted, "but I'm sick of their attitude." He looked over at Jenn as she fell into step with them. "Sorry for blowing up," he said to her, "but she had no right to disrespect you like that."

"Like you said, she's a thug in a trashy outfit," Jenn said, unconcerned. "I don't really care what someone like her thinks of me." She looked up at her friend and smiled. "But thank you."

He smiled back. "I meant every word. If anyone can do this, it's you. We'll plan the whole thing out, and any way I can help you, I will."

"Same goes for me," said Mara.

"And me," Luke added.

"Thank you," Jenn said again. "I'm glad I have friends like you to count on. Together, we can do this."

The measured rasp of his breathing drew Mara's attention to Vader, and she saw him watching them wordlessly. When he noticed her looking at him, he turned and marched on ahead.

* * *

><p>It was odd, Han reflected, how all spaceport towns tended to look pretty much the same. The spaceport on Terminus, where they currently were, was only distinguishable from a thousand other such places he had visited in his life by the local terrain, which was mostly dominated by lumpy, globular lava formations. Add some sand dunes outside the city, he thought sourly, and it would be impossible to tell the difference between this place and Mos Eisley.<p>

Then again, he supposed, looking over at his wife as they walked through the streets, Mos Eisley wasn't all bad; if he hadn't decided to hang out in the cantina that day looking for an easy fare to help pay off his debts, his life would have taken a course he couldn't even imagine. In one of those strange turns of fate the universe occasionally decided to throw his way, his brother-in-law and his son had actually seen some of those other possibilities.

He thought about the stories he'd heard from the small group that crossed into two alternate universes. In one, he was an Imperial Grand Admiral, something almost inconceivable to Han himself. In the other, he was nowhere to be found, with Leia married to some Hapan prince. Han scoffed aloud at the mere thought of this. He didn't know much of anything about the Hapes Cluster, since its borders were still closed to the rest of the galaxy as they had been for the last three thousand years, but it was still hard to imagine Leia falling for some spoiled pretty-boy royal.

"Even though I was adopted, I'm still royalty myself, you know," Leia said. "If I hadn't become a Jedi and given up my claim to the throne in favor of my cousin, I'd be Queen of Alderaan right now." When he frowned, she smiled amusedly. "I wasn't listening in, if that's what you're wondering. You're just thinking so 'loud' I can't help but overhear."

"Through all this noise?" Han said, gesturing out at the bustling spaceport.

"You're the only person here I've spent enough time with," Leia said with a shrug. "Everyone else, I just get vague impressions of their emotions."

"Oh, yeah?" Han said in playful challenge, raising one eyebrow. "What am I thinking right now?"

Leia actually blushed, then swatted his arm with the back of her hand.

Han laughed. "It's good to know I can still get a rise out of you after this long."

"Yes, you're very impressive," Leia said dryly. "There's the place; let's go."

Han looked up at the huge red holographic sign above one of the low buildings, fashioned as a cluster of domes either hollowed out of a lava formation or built to imitate one. "The Rowdy Rancor," he read from the sign, which depicted a grinning, drooling rancor making an obscene gesture with one clawed hand. "Hey, my kind of place."

"Why is it these sort of meetings are always held in the absolute seediest, most disreputable-looking place in the entire city?" Leia wondered aloud.

Han grinned. "Keeps the riff-raff out."

Leia just rolled her eyes, shook her head, and sighed.

Inside, the cantina was dark, as such places often were, with the most of the illumination provided by garish neon lighting strips that ran around the top of the walls just beneath the low ceiling, around the rims of the tables, and on the floor outlining the bar and the various alcoves in the walls.

Set up on a stage at one end of the main room was a Bith band, playing familiar-sounding music. Han idly wondered if they were the same band that had been playing at the Mos Eisley cantina the day he'd met Luke and Obi-Wan, or if it was just another case of spaceport sameness.

Someone waved them over from one of the tables, and Han approached, keeping his gun hand near his holster. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Leia adjust her dark-colored jacket, surreptitiously checking the inside pocket which held her lightsaber.

As they drew closer, Han recognized Talon Karrde by the distinctive white patch in the man's dark beard, which the lighting strips in the alcove gave an odd blue tint. Karrde appeared to be alone at the table, but Han recognized three of the nearby patrons as members of Karrde's crew, with more likely around somewhere.

"Sorry to bring you to such a rough area of town," Karrde said as they sat down at the other side of his table. "But, this is where my source is, and if he decides to finally let me in to talk to him, I figured you'd want to be there, too."

"Who's your source?" Leia asked him.

"A local information broker by the name of Varykk," Karrde replied. "He's been based out of this cantina forever - almost literally, if you go by local rumor; supposedly he's been here since the Old Sith Wars. Personally, I think he's just a series of people pretending to be one extraordinarily long-lived person to enhance their organization's mystique." He shrugged. "I've never seen another of Varykk's species anywhere in the galaxy, so who knows?"

"And what's this Varykk character know about the Burned?" Han asked, keeping his voice low despite the sound-dampening field around the booth.

"He wouldn't tell me in his message," said Karrde. "Said he was risking his considerable posterior just mentioning them even in an encrypted message, and if I wanted to know, I had to come in person, and with plenty of credits."

"My expense account is authorized for quite a bit, if this is useful," said Han. "That Bothan idiot may not be taking this seriously, but Wedge and Ackbar certainly are."

Karrde dismissed this with an off-handed wave. "I'll take care of it. Consider it my contribution to the war effort." A small disk on the table in front of him lit up and buzzed quietly. "There's the signal; we're cleared to go back."

At the back room, they were met by a huge armored bodyguard of indeterminate species, his face hidden by a helmet. "No weapons are permitted in Varykk's presence."

Han and Karrde surrendered their blasters, but the bodyguard's scanner wand did not register Leia's lightsaber, so it stayed in her jacket.

The broker himself was waiting for them in a large, thickly padded chair at the back of the sumptuously decorated room. Varykk was a huge, corpulent six-armed being with yellow skin and facial tentacles in lieu of hair, dressed in brightly colored robes festooned with a multitude of tiny lights which blinked in a variety of hues.

"You keep important company, Karrde," Varykk said, his voice extremely deep and vaguely accented. He slapped his huge belly with three of his hands. "Yes, I know who you are, Leia and Han Solo. You may dress like smugglers today, but information is my business."

"Then you know why we came here in person to hear what you have to say," said Leia.

"Yes," Varykk said. "I know something about the Burned Lord, something you Jedi wish to know so that you may fight him. I do not wish to see all the worlds of the galaxy incinerated by a madman, so I will tell you what I know." His bright orange eyes took on a calculating gleam. "For a price. I must make a living, you know."

"I'd say you're doing pretty well for yourself," Han said with a gesture at the luxurious furnishings. "How do we know this is worth paying for?"

"I know where the Burned Lord came from," Varykk said. "I have acquired eyewitness testimony from three people who were with him when he, as he calls it, 'passed through the Fire' and became as he is now. He killed almost everyone who was there, but there were a few survivors. I heard the story years ago, but when I heard of Sernpidal's destruction, I sought out the survivors and learned their stories in detail."

"All right, that sounds promising," said Karrde. "Go ahead."

Varykk's facial tentacles twitched, and he fiddled with a few of the lights on his robes for a moment before continuing. "The man now known as Pyrron, the Burned Lord, emerged from one of the Hutts' spice mines. I do not know which one, because the survivors did not know themselves. Once they fled the place, they never went back.

"Roughly twenty Standard years ago, not long after the Treaty of Alderaan, there was some sort of explosion in one of the mining tunnels, and an entire crew died. Only one man survived. Whether he was a prisoner or a guard, I do not know, since none of those who lived to tell the tale recognized what emerged from the conflagration: a man, his entire body covered in burns, his eyes glowing with orange light, walked out of the tunnel alone.

"According to the survivors, he said nothing. He only raised his arms, and flame shot from his hands out at those gathered around the tunnel. Panicked, the prisoners rose up against the guards and fled, stealing cargo shuttles and anything else they could find to escape the inferno in the complex below. Only a few made it, and those who were not recaptured by the Hutts fled as far as they could. Most of the mines' records were destroyed by the guards during the great Jedi crusade against slavery a few years later, but I was able to learn that the squad the Hutts sent to investigate the mine found no survivors, and indeed that the entire complex had been incinerated from the inside out."

"Well, that explains why we never heard of him before," Han remarked.

"That is not all," Varykk said, clearly rattled by something. "Those survivors I mentioned, the ones from whom I learned this story? They are all dead, killed within the last few months." He leaned forward slightly. "All of them by fire."

"Pyrron doesn't want the story of his origin known," said Karrde. "There must be something in it that reveals some sort of weakness of his."

"That is my guess as well," said Varykk. He gestured with four of his six hands. "I plan to use the money you give me to provision and fuel my ship, which I will use to hide until this is all over." He produced a datacard from a pocket of his robe. "This contains all the information I have gathered on Pyrron, including a recording of an interview I held with one of the survivors herself. I trust you consider this worth my admittedly substantial fee?"

Karrde pulled out his comlink and pressed a button. "My man's transferring the money to your account now."

Varykk handed the datacard to Leia. "I hope this is useful to you, I truly do," he said.

Leia carefully put the datacard in her jacket pocket. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "You might have just helped us win this war."

* * *

><p>Emperor Soontir Fel and one of his Imperial Knights moved swiftly through a secret passage in the Royal Palace on Alderaan, following the Vice-Chancellor to the Chancellor's office for an unofficial meeting. With the vote cast and the treaty of alliance rejected by the Republic Senate, all Imperial personnel and vessels were expected to leave Republic space within the day. But, Fel still had business with his fellow head of state; though the Senate had been foolish enough to reject the alliance, something could still yet be done.<p>

"We used these tunnels to escape the palace when Darth Vader occupied Alderaan," Winter remarked to him as they walked. She pointed to the edge of the entrance to a side passage. "You can still see the marks left by Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber when he cut through the brick wall which had sealed off that passage."

"Master Kenobi always understood that action must sometimes be taken for the greater good, regardless of legality," said Fel. When Winter turned to look back at him, he went on. "Don't be so surprised, Vice-Chancellor. Though I have always been a loyal soldier of the Empire, I can nonetheless respect Master Kenobi for his leadership in the Clone Wars. Just because you do not agree with some of a man's ideals does not mean you cannot still respect him."

"Very true," Winter replied with a slight nod. She stopped at a seeming dead-end in the passage. "Here we are," she said, pressing a button on a small panel mounted at about shoulder-level.

With a quiet hiss of hydraulics, the blank wall slid aside, revealing the Chancellor's office beyond. Fel entered to find Chancellor Amidala at her desk, and he inclined his head in brief greeting before taking one of the chairs at the other side.

"This morning's vote is… disappointing," Amidala began, "but please, do not think that all in the Republic have rejected the possibility of an alliance. I'm sure you've seen a copy of the report Grand Admiral Thrawn just sent back."

"The Burned have used their Star Forge to assemble a fleet greater than any navy in the galaxy," Fel confirmed. "We have only weeks until they arrive at the Belkadan system. Even if you gathered the entire Republic Navy there, they could not hope to repel the enemy."

"Fortunately, Ackbar is with us, and is gathering the fleet there anyway," said Amidala. "General Bel Iblis is out trying to recruit any other armed ships he can, a task that has grown even more urgent now that your fleet cannot come to our aid."

"Action can still be taken in that regard," Fel said, leaning forward in his chair. "I have as many ships as I can spare gathered at the border, just waiting for permission to cross. If you issue an executive order allowing our passage through Republic space, I will personally lead my fleet to Belkadan as swiftly as we are able."

"That would be political suicide," said Winter, frowning slightly. "Fey'lya and his cohorts are stirring up anti-Imperial sentiment in the Senate; if the Chancellor issued such an order, he would immediately lead his majority in a vote of no confidence and have her removed from office."

"He's been looking for an excuse for a long time," Amidala agreed.

Fel met Amidala's gaze across the desk. "On our way here, the Vice-Chancellor and I briefly discussed Master Kenobi, a man you knew personally, Madame Chancellor. He was willing to do what he thought was right, irrespective of the consequences to himself. As I understand it, that is one of the central tenets of the Jedi philosophy."

"It is," Amidala said quietly. She placed her hands flat on the top of her desk and took a breath. "How long would you need to get to Belkadan from the border?"

"To cross the entire Republic?" Fel said. "At least seven or eight Standard days." He half-smiled wryly. "I understand your son-in-law's personal vessel can make the same trip in a fraction of the time, but unfortunately, capital ships simply cannot travel that quickly."

"Indeed," Amidala agreed. She glanced briefly at Winter, then back at the Emperor. "Pyrron's fleet is estimated to arrive at Belkadan within three weeks, likely closer to two. That gives us one week to attempt to change enough minds in the Senate to ratify the treaty in another vote." She paused, determination hardening her features. "If we cannot secure the vote by the end of this week, I will issue the order and accept the consequences."

Fel stood. "Then I will depart, and make sure my fleet is ready to embark the moment we receive word." He extended his hand across the desk. "May the Force be with you, Madame Chancellor."

She shook his hand. "And with you, Emperor Fel."

* * *

><p>"Here we go again."<p>

Jenn looked up from her seat in the conference room of their captured Corellian corvette, and set her datapad aside when she saw Corran standing in the doorway. "How far to Terminus?" she asked.

"Couple hours yet," Corran replied. "Despite their general disregard for décor," he said dryly, gesturing to the charring patterns on the walls, "the Burned do seem to know their engines. This ship has been souped up to be able to go almost twice as fast as a factory-spec vessel, both hyperdrive and sublight engines, with the only drawback being that it's really not a good idea to go in the engine compartment without a radiation suit."

"Well, that's why we brought HK-47 and his droids along," said Jenn. "Also because they're the one type of backup the Burned won't sense when they take us aboard their Star Forge."

"That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about," Corran said as he sat down in one of the chairs across the table. "I know Ben and Anakin are determined to come along, since they have the same link with the Burned you and I do, but it's still not too late to drop them off on the _Phoenix_ when we rendezvous with it. You and I can do this by ourselves."

"Can we?" Jenn rebutted mildly. "We've learned a lot about this link recently, but even I still don't fully understand it. If all four of us go in, there's a much greater chance at least one will evade detection long enough to disable the shield. I don't like putting the boys at risk, either, but they're Jedi, same as we are; they know what has to be done."

"But they're both just apprentices," Corran protested.

"I had barely been made a Jedi Knight myself when I left to fight in the Mandalorian Wars," Jenn said. "Age makes no difference when it comes to the strength of one's convictions. They have the means and opportunity to contribute to this fight, so as Jedi, it is their responsibility to do so." She sighed shortly. "Look, as leader of this mission, I intend to take on most of the risk myself. If we do this right, the boys won't even leave this ship, but at the same time, I have to take all the possibilities into account."

"I think that's one of the unwritten sections of the Code," Corran said with black humor. "'Whatever can go wrong, will.'"

"Seems to be the way the universe works sometimes," Jenn agreed. To lighten the mood, she allowed a mischievous smile to quirk one corner of her mouth. "Now, are you going to shave your beard today, or wait till just before we get there?"

Corran raised one hand to his beard a bit protectively. "Why?"

"Well," Jenn said slowly, "I've never seen a Burned One with facial hair, have you? In fact, I don't think they have any hair at all."

"I thought we were just going to keep our hoods up," said Corran.

"We still have to put the makeup on our faces to look like them," Jenn said. "Unless you want to try to consciously project an illusion the entire time we're there."

Corran frowned. "No, thanks." He idly stroked the sides of his beard with his thumb and forefinger a few times. "I guess if it's for the good of the mission," he said with a light smile.

"We all have to make sacrifices," Jenn said with mock seriousness.

Corran laughed lightly as he stood and left the room.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the Burned vessel salvaged from the remains of the battle at Lehon, Jacen met with Revan to discuss strategy. They had just under two weeks of travel time to formulate the battle plan, and Jacen intended to make use of every second.<p>

Currently, the two of them were sparring in what had once been the captain's quarters, now devoid of furniture or decoration but for a few half-melted plastic chairs along one wall, the floors, walls and ceiling streaked with abstract black patterns.

Jacen briefly took a hand off his lightsaber to brush sweat from his forehead, which he wiped off on the front of his sleeveless black undershirt. "The _Phoenix_ is designed for firepower, not speed or maneuverability," he said as he stepped forward into a spinning, left-to-right spiral strike. As Revan caught Jacen's emerald blade by crossing his weapons in a sideways X, he continued. "Once it jumps into superlaser range of the station, it's not going anywhere fast, so timing is going to be critical; we need to get it into the system undetected, then micro-jump it into range of the Star Forge the moment the shield comes down."

"A tall order," said Revan, parrying Jacen's saber with his red blade. "The _Phoenix_ is the size of a small moon; it'd be hard to hide it from the Star Forge's sensors." He thrust with his blue blade.

Jacen nimbly turned aside to avoid the stab, then whipped his blade up in a right-to-left diagonal to knock Revan's blue right blade to his left. Next, he spun his entire right arm in a circular wind-milling motion, bringing his blade up and over to crash into the Jedi Master's red left blade from below with enough force to push it to Jacen's left, as well. He angled his blade diagonally, striking again to push both of Revan's blades into the wall, then stepped forward to push the Jedi Master himself into the wall, pinning him there with his shoulder pressed against the other man's.

"You know more about the Star Forges than anyone else alive," Jacen said. "If there's a way to hide something that size from the sensors, I'm all ears."

Revan raised his left elbow and twisted his left wrist, shifting Jacen's blade just enough for him to free his blue right blade for a sweeping strike at Jacen's midsection. The younger man twisted back out of the way, but this threw off his balance enough for Revan to swiftly hook his ankle around Jacen's and pull sharply.

Jacen turned his tumble into a roll, which he used to give himself momentum as he spun, then hurled himself into a back-flip to gain more distance.

However, even as his boots hit the deck, Revan was already there, arms stretched out with his blades like glowing wingtips. Jacen barely had enough time to raise his arms and hold his blade point-downwards to block the sweeping slashes that would have divided him into thirds, were this a real fight.

"Wrong," Revan said, suddenly twisting both his blades to wrench Jacen's saber right out of his hands. "All thumbs, more like," he said with a smirk.

Jacen leaped to the side, called his lightsaber back to him with a tug of the Force, and ignited the blade as he emerged from his roll, just in time to block a double overhand smash from both of the older man's blades.

He spun to the side and slashed down at Revan's back, but the Jedi Master caught this with his red saber and lashed out with his blue at Jacen's calves.

Jacen leaped over this, high enough in fact to plant his boot in the middle of Revan's back, and pushed off into another long back-flip. Revan's stumble gave him just enough time to flip again, and then he surged forward, on the offensive.

With a roll of his wrists, Jacen twisted Revan's red blade out of his grip, but immediately pressed forward with a fast series of wide looping slashes, forcing the Jedi Master to take hold of his blue lightsaber with both hands to counter them.

He pressed Revan back for a few steps, trying to drive him into the wall again, but the Jedi Master suddenly stopped and held his ground, spinning his blue blade through infinity arcs to counter Jacen's blows. The two of them stood a pace apart and traded a rapid series of strikes for a moment before Jacen suddenly feinted right, but brought his blade through a powerful spiral that twisted Revan's other lightsaber out of his hands.

Jacen smirked as he brought the tip of his blade up beneath the Jedi Master's chin. "You were saying?"

Suddenly a shaft of red light erupted out of the air with a scream of ignition only a few centimeters beside his eye. Jacen looked over to see Revan's black and gold lightsaber hovering, disembodied, just behind him.

"Now that's just not fair," Jacen said with a good-natured laugh as he let his blade go out and stepped away.

"Some fights you can't win by playing fair," Revan said as he plucked the hilt from the air, let the blade go out, and clipped it to his belt.

"Don't I know it," Jacen said quietly, the humor fading from his expression.

The loud rasp of his grandfather's respirator drew Jacen's attention, and he turned to see Vader standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his armored chest. He said nothing for a moment, simply stood there with his loud breathing echoing slightly in the large empty room. Jacen wondered why Vader still wore his armor all the time even though the Vong were apparently gone for good. Was it because it kept his face hidden? Or were there other reasons?

"Did you need something?" Revan asked politely, brows slightly raised.

"I have an alternative strategy," Vader rumbled. "As you know, I have the power to ignite stars into supernova with the Force. I propose that I take our fastest ship ahead and end this threat now."

"You could…" Revan said mildly. His expression darkened. "If you wanted to tip yourself completely into the Dark Side again."

"It would solve the problem," Vader said, and Jacen could sense a similar frown beneath the mask.

"It would create another," Revan countered. "Just because you _can_ send the Star Forge's sun into supernova doesn't mean you should. That's _definitely_ not a Light Side ability." He held up a hand. "I've done my research; you once 'solved a problem' with a similar Dark-Sided action, and it led to you helping Palpatine to destroy almost the entire Jedi Order and bring about a dictatorial regime before you turned on your new Master in true Sith fashion and killed him to take his throne."

"This is not the same," said Vader.

Revan gave him a frank look. "Isn't it?" He took a step toward the other man. "You can't fool me. I'm not your son; Luke has never touched the Dark Side, but I have. I know _exactly_ what it's like, the lies to justify what you're doing. _You_ aren't doing it for selfish reasons, you tell yourself. _You_ won't become as bad as the villains who came before you. _You're_ doing it for the good of the galaxy. You only need the power of the Dark Side because it's the only way to get things done. Sound familiar?"

Vader said nothing, but Jacen could sense him seething.

"That's the danger with men like us," Revan went on. "I started out a hero, but got sick of the squabbling and the dithering in the government, so I decided to do something about it. I felt justified in conquering the Republic because I'd saved it; those people's lives were in my hands. I'd saved them from the savage hordes, and how did they repay me? By more dithering. By wasting more time and making things worse for everyone while they squawked their petty arguments across the Senate floor. And the Jedi? Just as bad. They refused to recognize me; instead they condemned me. So I decided to get rid of them. _Sound familiar?_"

Still silent, Vader lowered his hands to his sides and clenched them into fists.

"Yes, you absolutely could go out there and solve our problems with the Dark Side," Revan continued. "Send the sun into supernova and fry all the Burned in an instant. War over!" He raised a hand to point at Vader. "But like I said, you can't fool me. I've been in your place, and I know what you're thinking. You wouldn't stop there. Now, flush with the Dark Side, you'd have a huge fleet and no one left to fight with it. You'd remember everyone who got in your way during the end of your twenty-year crusade against the Vong, and the twenty-year crusade before that against the Rebels, and maybe you'd decide that now, with the galaxy in chaos from the third brutal war in less than fifty years, you finally have the chance to take back what you see as rightfully yours."

"You know nothing about me," said Vader, his voice taut with restrained fury.

"I've _been_ you," Revan retorted. "I let myself be dragged into the Dark Side, and after a while, I stopped resisting and threw myself the rest of the way in. Even now it's still there, like a hammering in my head, telling me I can solve everything if I just let myself go and start killing everything in sight." Revan's expression softened. "But I don't. And that's my point; I have been exactly where you are, _exactly_, and I came back. I _chose_ to come back."

"He's right, Grandfather," Jacen said, stepping forward to stand next to the Jedi Master. "I'll never admit this to anyone else in the family, but I was close. When Lady Vader tortured me for weeks on end and finally gave me the chance to become her apprentice, I almost, _almost_ accepted, and I still brushed the Dark Side when I fought her. But, I chose not to continue down that path. Though it was tempting, I knew where it would lead, and I _chose_ not to become a Sith. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but I did it, and here I am, a Jedi Knight."

Vader looked at them for a long moment, breathing slowly, and when he finally spoke, his voice was no longer filled with rage but instead with regret. "It is… too late for me," he said sadly. "But thank you for trying." With that, he turned and left.

Revan sighed heavily. "He is holding on by his fingertips." He turned to Jacen, his expression hardening. "I want you to be prepared."

Jacen looked back at him. "For what?"

"For when he lets go."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	35. The Needs of the Many

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Five<strong>  
>(The Needs of the Many)<p>

Ben Skywalker did not recognize the face in his mirror, and he found that more than a little troubling.

He settled the hood of his ash-gray robe over his hair, checking the folds to make sure only his heavily made-up face was visible, with its artificial burn scars and swirling flame-patterned false tattoos. For the moment, his eyes were still the same sapphire blue color as his father and grandfather's eyes, but that, too was shortly going to change.

He looked down at the lightsaber sitting on the counter next to the sink, the weapon his grandfather had given him to replace the one he had lost at Arctriel. This lightsaber had seen use in many wars. It had been used by Anakin Skywalker as he led his troops in the Clone Wars to defend the Republic, and by Darth Vader as he led those same troops to destroy it. _Children_ had been murdered with this blade.

Now it was his to use as he saw fit. Ben took the lightsaber in hand, feeling the weight, the balance of it. It was a Jedi weapon once again, but if he let go, if he did not keep himself under control while their group posed as Burned Ones, it would become a tool of darkness again.

Ben had only used his link a few times, but he did not like what he felt. Even though he would be feeling a diluted form of it, filtered through Jenn herself at her insistence, it was still troubling. The Burned did not consider themselves individuals any more than sparks were more than just part of the greater fire. What if he couldn't stay under control, remain himself?

He heard the door to his quarters open and sensed his sister moments before she walked around the corner.

"Ben, are you- Whoa!" Ami exclaimed in surprise. She smirked. "Hey, have you seen my brother around? Looks like me, except not as good-looking?"

"Yeah, you're funny," Ben said dryly. He pushed his lightsaber up his sleeve and hooked its clip on the cloth band he wore around his forearm for that purpose.

"The other members of your freaky little circus are ready to go," Ami said with a gesture toward the door. The humor faded from her expression. "You be careful out there."

"Well, darn," Ben said lightly. "There goes my Uncle Han 'crash-in-with-all-guns-blazing' plan. Anakin's going to be so disappointed."

Ami's mouth didn't so much as twitch from its serious line. "I mean it," she said firmly. "You've almost died once already." She allowed one corner of her lips to quirk slightly. "If you make me come rescue you again, I will never ever let you hear the end of it."

"Talk about motivation," Ben said in mock-horror. He sobered, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. "We can do this. We've spent weeks preparing, and our strategy was formulated by no less than Revan and Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Burned are the ones who should be worried."

Ami nodded distractedly. "I still have a-"

Ben pointed at her with his other hand. "Don't say it." He pulled her in for a one-armed hug around her shoulders. "I've got it, too," he said quietly.

Ami gently flicked his chest with the back of her fingers. "Just don't do anything stupid."

Ben chuckled as they walked out of his quarters. "Says the girl who went skydiving without a parachute."

* * *

><p>Many light-years away, on the slowly recovering world of Ord Rheznir, Markin Andross looked out of the window of his family's landspeeder as he and his father Tarrol drove into town for supplies.<p>

The once-verdant fields and forests of his homeworld were still blackened and scorched from the guns of the Yuuzhan Vong, but the resilient colonists were determined to rebuild their home anyway.

"See? Progress already," Tarrol said cheerfully, pointing out of the windscreen to a destroyed farmstead off to one side of the road, where a group of men and women used repulsorlifts to carefully maneuver a prefabricated structure into place beside the blasted remains of the original house. "Give it a few months, and the town will look better than it did before."

Markin nodded wordlessly. Yes, some things could be rebuilt, but other things would never be the same.

As they arrived at their destination, a combined general store and restaurant, Markin looked curiously at all the other speeders parked outside.

"Place's busy today," Tarrol observed as he parked their speeder. He grinned. "Word about that new Ortolan chef must be getting around."

Markin perked up at this. "I hope it's not too crowded," he said. "I'm getting hungry."

Inside, they found almost two dozen people gathered at the tables in the restaurant section, but it soon became obvious the crowd wasn't there for the food. The holo-pad in an alcove along one wall was active, currently showing an advertisement for a Kuat Drive Yards personal starship.

The proprietor, a dark-skinned fifty-ish human man with a salt-and-pepper beard, looked up as they entered. "Hey, Tarrol!" he greeted Markin's father cheerfully.

"Hello, Xender," Tarrol replied amiably. "What's going on?"

"You're just in time," Xender said, gesturing to the holo-pad. "_Eye on Alderaan _is about to start. Senator Fey'lya's going to talk about why he voted against the treaty."

"'Bout time he put that woman in her place," grumbled a heavyset older man seated at one of the tables. "She's always been an Imperial sympathizer. She was married to the damn Emperor, after all."

"Are you serious?" another patron, a Bith, exclaimed incredulously. "Amidala was one of the most vocal critics of Palpatine's increasing grabs for power during the Clone Wars. She was one of the leading members of the Delegation of Two Thousand!"

"And ever since she was elected Chancellor, she's been much too friendly with the Empire," the gray-haired man rebutted. "They've been pacing behind the border for twenty years, looking for the first chance they can get to send their fleet in and conquer Republic space again."

"That is completely ludicrous!" the Bith gaped, astonished. "Emperor Fel has been nothing but civil to the Republic for his entire reign."

"More like smiling as he holds the knife behind his back," the gray-haired man snapped.

"Both of you be quiet," Xender called over to them. "It's starting."

On the holo-pad, a brief melodic theme played from the speakers as the words '_Eye on Alderaan_' appeared in large green holographic letters. The projection then resolved itself into a slightly smaller than life-size seated figure, a blue-skinned female Twi'lek dressed in a brocaded robe.

"_Good afternoon, and welcome to _Eye on Alderaan," she began. "_I'm your host, Rayla Larek. Joining me today is Borsk Fey'lya, Senator for Bothawui._" As she spoke, his image flickered into place beside her, seated to her right. The Bothan nodded once in perfunctory greeting. Markin thought he looked smug.

Larek gestured to her left as another figure appeared in the projection. "_Also here with us today is Elegos A'Kla, Trustant of the Caamasi Remnant._" The Caamasi inclined his head briefly.

She looked first from one to the other. "_Trustant, Senator, thank you for joining us._"

"_Thank you for inviting me,_" A'Kla said politely.

"_Yes, thank you,_" Fey'lya said. "_The people of the Republic need to know why I successfully defeated this foolish alliance._"

"_Strong words, Senator,_" Larek said with a slight frown. "_Please, explain._"

"_I'll be happy to,_" said Fey'lya, sitting up straighter in his chair. "_I've been carefully reviewing the reports from the front, and what I've seen is nothing short of alarming. Not only has Republic High Command been allowing Darth Vader's fleet free movement within the Republic, they have even, in effect, surrendered control of the Republic military to him!_"

"_That is an exaggeration,_" A'Kla interjected calmly. "_Admiral Ackbar and the High Command have been working in conjunction with Vanguard Fleet because_ _Lord Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn have the greater experience in fighting the Yuuzhan Vong. Allowing their forces to take the lead in the fight was a wise tactical decision. But the Jedi Grand Master and several other leading members of the Council have also been present as a moderating influence."_

"_Oh, yes, the Jedi Council,_" Fey'lya sneered. "_Among whose members are both of Darth Vader's children and one of his assassins. Under their 'moderating influence',_" he said venomously, "_Vader and Thrawn have operated with impunity, even going so far as to use horrific technological and biological weapons. Apart from the ghastly agent Delta Red, Vader's grandson Jacen Solo commands a weapon capable of destroying entire planets, a battle station whose origins he refuses to explain!_" He leaned forward in his chair. "_The Skywalker family is working together to bring more and more Imperial forces within the borders of the Republic, and it is quite obvious why."_

"_What are you implying, Senator?_" A'Kla asked.

"_I am reminding the public that far more military forces have been gathered within our borders than were necessary to defend us against the Yuuzhan Vong,_" Fey'lya replied. "_A threat, I might add, that is now over. There is no reason to have any further relations with the Empire. Not only is it unnecessary, an alliance at this juncture is potentially harmful."_

"_What of this Burned cult?_" A'Kla countered. "_They are known to have destroyed the colony on Sernpidal, and their fleets have been encountered in several recent battles."_

"_Alarmist Skywalker rhetoric," _Fey'lya said dismissively. "_While Sernpidal's destruction is a tragedy, there is no evidence it was not the result of natural volcanic activity. Without a serious threat to fight, the Jedi are reduced to jumping at shadows in order to make themselves still seem relevant and useful."_

"_I think you are making a critical misjudgment, Senator,_" A'Kla cautioned. "_The Jedi are-"_

"_Oblivious to the actual concerns of the Republic,_" Fey'lya interrupted. "_The critical error here would be to listen to their insistence that we gather the fleet out in an insignificant Outer Rim system chasing phantoms while the _entire_ Imperial Navy is positioned at the border."_

"_At the Chancellor's request,_" A'Kla reminded him.

"_A request naively made,_" Fey'lya countered. "_The Chancellor was never part of the Rebellion, and she did not fight the Empire alongside us. She is simply wrong about what is best for the Republic at this juncture._"

"Damn right!" said the gray-haired man. "Impeach Amidala!"

Surprising Markin, this elicited a chorus of approving murmurs from several in the crowd. He looked up at his father to find Tarrol also plainly dismayed.

"Come on, we're leaving," Tarrol said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "I've heard enough."

As they went outside and got back into their speeder, Markin looked over at his father. "Why were they saying those things about the Chancellor?" he asked, confused.

"I don't know," Tarrol replied as he started the speeder. "But there's nothing we can do about it besides hope that the right thing gets done. All we can do is just go home and get back to work."

* * *

><p>Malysa Kolos held up a datapad as she walked into Admiral Ackbar's office aboard <em>Home One<em>. "Have you seen this?" she asked Ackbar and General Antilles, who were seated on the low couch at one side of the office.

Wedge sighed in exasperation. "Senator Fey'lya's passive-aggressive 'request' that we put the fleet back on regular maneuvers?"

"Yeah," Malysa confirmed. "Right now I can't decide whether he's actually a Burned sleeper agent or just a pompous idiot."

"He's been like this since the Rebellion," Wedge said, gesturing for her to take a nearby chair. "You ever see the recording of his speech at the tribunal when Mara Jade defected?"

Malysa shook her head, and sighed angrily as she sat down. "No, but I've dealt with him often enough since then to know that he's one of those good old-fashioned politicians who are nothing but selfish windbags and still somehow manage to stay in power anyway because they can find enough people to scare into voting for them."

Ackbar nodded in agreement. "Fey'lya is only beneficial during those exceptionally rare instances when his personal agenda aligns with what is actually good for the Republic." He paused, holding up one flipper-like hand. "But unfortunately, we have more pressing concerns at the moment. Allowing the Senator to provoke us will not help our mission."

"You're right; I shouldn't lose my temper like that," Malysa allowed. "But it's almost like he's willfully ignoring the threat the Burned pose, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why."

"Why do politicians do anything?" Wedge said with a shrug. "He's got some kind of long con running with this, but right now, I really don't care what it is. What I'm worried about is how we're going to fight the Burned without the Imperial fleet. Have you seen the latest scans from the ExGal arrays? They have more ships than both the Republic and Imperial navies combined!"

Ackbar nodded gravely. "I have rarely faced such disconcerting odds and prevailed. We will have to hope Master Skywalker's task force is successful."

"We still need to make plans for what to do in case they fail," Malysa said grimly. "We're the last line of defense, and if the Imperial fleet isn't allowed to cross the Republic soon, we're going to have to hold the line with just what we have in the Belkadan system now. It's going to be the Battle of the Fiery Gates all over again."

Ackbar nodded gravely. "I have been considering that possibility as well. General Bel Iblis and Talon Karrde are out trying to secure as many armed vessels as they can, but the results have not been promising. Public opinion seems to be against us at the moment, swayed by Fey'lya and his cohorts."

"Not everyone is on their side," Wedge countered mildly. "A few volunteer militias have shown up in the past couple of days, and recruiting is high on worlds near Sernpidal." He paused, frowning. "Though I appreciate the enthusiasm, I'm not sure how effective such raw recruits can be. I remember how many kids just like them got killed during the Rebellion."

"We will work with what we have," said Ackbar.

"About that," Malysa said, leaning forward in her chair, "I have an idea about where we can get some more ships."

"We found the rest of the _Katana_ fleet fifteen years ago," said Wedge. "So unless your plan is to raid junkyards for decommissioned warships…" He paused, and his brows rose in surprise. "Turn the Burned's own strategy right around on them," he said appreciatively.

"I'm sure there are still some old mothballed droid-control ships from the Clone Wars floating around," Malysa said, nodding in confirmation. "And not all of the wreckage left over from the Battle of Naboo has been salvaged and recycled yet; a lot of it's still floating around in the outer system where we left it after the battle." She ticked off a list on her fingers. "We bring in wreckage, asteroids, mines if we can get them, any kind of junk we can find to turn this system into one big obstacle course for the Burned fleet. They _have_ to come through here to get to the Republic, so we do everything we can to stop them or at least slow them down."

"A good plan," said Ackbar. "We should get started as soon as possible."

Wedge half-smiled wryly as he stood. "If we promise to patch it up a little, I bet we can even get Booster Terrik to bring in the _Errant Venture._ He salvaged it illegally from Naboo in the first place, so maybe we can talk him into at least helping us bring in some of the other derelicts."

Malysa chuckled lightly as she rose from her own chair. "It's about the only thing the Big Red Blight is useful for, anyway." She paused at the doorway. "Er, don't tell him I said that."

"Corran has said much worse to Booster and gotten away with it," said Wedge. He smirked. "Though that might be because Corran is married to his daughter."

"It's funny how much fathers-in-law will put up with from the men who marry their daughters," Malysa said as they walked down the corridor. "You should have heard the way my sister-in-law's father used to talk about my brother before they got married." She smiled teasingly. "You'd better get ready, Wedge. Your daughters are only a few years younger than the Solo kids; they'll be ready to start dating soon."

"No they won't," Wedge replied with feigned irritation as they came to a turbolift. "Not until I'm dead."

"We all have our reasons for fighting, I suppose," Malysa said with mock solemnity as the doors opened.

Wedge chuckled as they stepped inside.

* * *

><p>"Have I mentioned recently how much I hate puzzles?"<p>

Jaina looked over at Mara and nodded in agreement as she leaned back in her chair. She, her parents, Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, Ami, Revan, and Qeris were gathered in the main room of the Skywalker family's temporary quarters on the _Phoenix_, reviewing the datacard Han and Leia had obtained from Varykk.

"Jenn said trying to understand her link with the fire cult is like trying to put together a puzzle without being able to see all the pieces," Luke agreed from the couch across the room's central low table.

Mara gestured across the room at her husband. "She's right on the money there. We're just trying to figure out how Pyrron is able to do the things he's able to do, and it's still like trying to untangle an incredibly bunched-up knot."

"It has something to do with the accident in the spice mine," Leia said from the couch next to Jaina. "We know latent Force potential can sometimes manifest itself even without training. Maybe when the explosion went off in the mining tunnel, he instinctively tried to shield himself, but something went horribly wrong."

"And he went completely mynock-dung crazy," Han added. "Then somewhere along the line, figured out he could do the same thing to other people."

"It could be similar to what happened to Master Talmak at the end of the Mandalorian Wars," Qeris offered. "You all felt the echoes from the destruction of Sernpidal and Osarian, but Master Talmak was in orbit above Malachor V when the Mass-Shadow Generator went off; the disturbance in the Force from all those deaths was so great she reflexively severed her own connection to the Force. The same event created the Sith Lord known as Darth Nihilus, who was essentially a walking wound in the Force, a gaping maw of hunger who fed on the life-force of other Force-sensitives."

"You could be on to something there," said Jaina. "Besides driving him insane, Pyrron's own untrained use of the Force, combined with feeling the deaths of everyone else in the mining tunnel, might have somehow twisted his connection to the Force into what it is now, something completely outside the Light Side and the Dark Side."

"Is it?" Ami spoke up from her seat next to Luke. "We were all there when Thrawn and Vader debriefed those Sith; remember how they said most of the Sith who've fought the Burned were just incinerated instantly. The Jedi haven't fought them directly very often, but when we have, we've definitely fared better. The one who attacked Anakin on Alderaan couldn't harm him at all."

Mara frowned thoughtfully. "I thought that was because of the link he and the others who were on the _Sabre_ got from what happened to them. Ben said Anakin's eyes were glowing orange when they ran into him."

"Yeah, that's what I thought for a while, too," Ami said with a glance over at her mother. "But then I started thinking about the Battle of Mytus and also what happened at Lehon when we fought them there. Just regular Jedi were able to hold them off for a little while, and that can't all be because of Aunt Leia's Battle Meditation and what Jenn did. Remember, Darth Glaechyk says the Sith were incinerated _instantly_, like, as soon as they tried to use the Dark Side against the Burned."

"Correlation doesn't always equal causation," said Jaina. "But you might be onto something here. Think back to what we know about who the Burned have approached, trying to convert."

"One spoke to me on Coruscant," said Luke.

"Which is odd," Qeris put in, "since I have never heard of any Imperial Knights being similarly approached."

"Note also that the Burned One talked to Uncle Luke, but not Aunt Mara," Jaina said, gesturing briefly to both of them. "And also note a singularly powerful individual who was also there whom they did _not_ speak to, nor have they ever, apparently."

"If the Burned were trying to convert the most powerful Force-users to their side, they would have started with Father," Leia said. "It must be something else."

"They've never tried to get me to convert, either," said Revan, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. "Pyrron didn't say anything when he attacked me through the link between our Star Forges; he just tried to kill me. But Jenn says he's repeatedly tried to get her to join him."

"And Ben told me Pyrron tried to convert him and Anakin once, too," said Ami.

"And that's the key, I think," Jaina said, leaning forward in her chair again. "There's one notable similarity in all of these cases."

Luke paused thoughtfully for a moment, but then his face lit up with realization. "None of us have ever fallen to the Dark Side."

Jaina leveled a finger at her uncle. "Pure sabacc." She looked over at her aunt. "No offense, but you were once a Sith, and used the Dark Side often before you gave it up. From what I understand, it's extremely difficult to completely purge all traces of that mindset."

"You don't have to tell me," Mara said somberly. "I've been a Jedi far longer than I was ever a Sith, and I still find myself slipping sometimes."

Suddenly Qeris' face also lit up with realization. "Not only have Masters Skywalker and Talmak never fallen to the Dark Side, they have actively resisted doing so. Both of them have had opportunity, been in tempting situations, but both have steadfastly refused to ever even use the Dark Side. The same goes for Apprentices Solo and Skywalker."

"And those are the ones the Burned have pursued most for conversion," Revan agreed, nodding once. "Whereas, according to Glaechyk, the Burned never asked any of the Sith to join them. They just attacked, and so successfully that most of the Sith have been wiped out in the last few months."

"Which means… what, exactly?" Han asked with a puzzled frown.

"It can't possibly mean the Burned Ones' connection to the Force is some form of Light Side technique," Leia said. "Can it?"

"No!" Ami exclaimed excitedly, jumping to her feet. "What it means is that Light Side users have greater defense against 'the Fire', whatever it is. Remember, they keep saying 'you would survive the Fire' in their little conversion speeches. Not always 'you could become one of us', but 'you would _survive_' above all else."

Luke's brows rose as he realized what this meant. "They don't want to recruit Jedi because we're easy to convert," he said, his own excitement almost palpable. "It's just the opposite!"

"Light Side users - especially _strong_ Light Side users - are somehow immune to the Fire, or at least have greater resistance to it," Jaina extrapolated. "Somehow, the Dark Side is a weakness, and any traces of it make a person vulnerable to the Fire, more likely to be destroyed rather than converted."

" 'Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny'," Mara quoted. "I always thought Master Yoda was talking about how thoroughly the Dark Side can ruin a person once it takes hold, but maybe that's not all of what he meant. Maybe what he meant was that the Dark Side is so creeping, so insidious, that once you let it in, it's almost impossible to get rid of it completely, even if you turn away from it and go back to the Light Side. Even if it's just small traces, and even if you ignore them, they're still there."

"That works both ways," Leia said softly, looking across the table at her brother. "It seems to be difficult to completely purge all traces of the Light Side, as well."

Luke nodded once in silent agreement, giving her a small smile. "There's always hope," he said.

Knowing very well what they meant, Jaina also nodded, looking down at the table without really seeing.

"Ben and the others are well out of contact," Ami said, breaking the momentary silence. "We have no way to tell them any of this, and contacting them through the Force while they're trying to infiltrate the Burned would be beyond stupid. So how do we let them know what we've figured out here?"

Revan's mouth set in a grim line beneath his dark beard. "We'll just have to hope they figure it out for themselves."

* * *

><p>In her office in the Royal Palace on Alderaan, Winter Celchu sat back in her chair with a sigh as the Senator for Kuat left her office.<p>

"How disappointing," C-3PO remarked as the doors closed behind the Kuati woman. "I had thought the benefits of an alliance with the Empire would be quite apparent at this juncture, especially given the latest reports from the ExGal arrays."

"Reports Fey'lya is heavily implying are exaggerated or even faked," Winter said sourly. "He's careful not to state it outright, but he's obviously trying to make this look like a plot by Darth Vader to conquer the Republic."

"Do you think that's true, Mistress Winter?" Threepio asked worriedly.

"I seriously doubt it," she replied evenly. "Though I spent too many years fighting that man to be completely sure." She sighed briefly. "Regardless, we still need the Imperial fleet at Belkadan. Even with all the efforts of the task force there, we're still not going to be able to muster enough ships on our own."

The intercom chimed just then, and Winter reached over to answer it. "Yes?"

"_The Chancellor is here to see you, ma'am_," her secretary replied.

"Thank you," Winter said, and looked up as the door opened again to reveal Chancellor Amidala, dressed in a gown of rich burgundy and vermillion.

"So it's official, then?" Padmé asked without greeting as she walked into the office.

Winter nodded resignedly. "It is."

"The Senate has made up its mind," the Chancellor said, clearly disappointed. "And they won't be swayed."

"It doesn't appear that way," Winter agreed solemnly.

Padmé sighed as she sat down in one of the office chairs. "So we have no choice."

Winter nodded once. "I wish there was another way, but too many have fallen under Fey'lya's thrall. It astonishes me that they are unable to see his foolishness for what it is."

"Unwilling, more like," Padmé said, subdued. "They see an opportunity for short-term gain, and are ignoring the long-term consequences. I don't know why I expected things to go any differently. Politics is an endless, increasingly vicious cycle."

"We hoped things would be different with the New Republic, but…" Winter trailed off sadly.

Padmé placed her hand over her eyes and massaged her temples with her thumb and middle finger. "They'll remove us both from office for this," she said grimly.

"Master Kenobi would say that the sacrifice is worth the overall gain," Winter said softly.

Padmé lowered her hand to her mouth for a moment and met Winter's gaze. Finally she dropped her hands to the arms of her chair and replied, "Yes, he would." She stood. "No point in waiting. We'll go to my office and issue the order now. Fey'lya will call an emergency session of the Senate as soon as we do, but it'll be too late to make any difference. Our soldiers at least know what needs to be done. They'll let Emperor Fel's fleet through."

Winter stood and walked around her desk to stand next to the other woman. "It has been an honor to serve with you, Madame Chancellor," she said, extending her hand.

Padmé solemnly shook it. "The honor was mine, Madame Vice-Chancellor."

Together, they left the office and walked purposefully through the halls of the palace.

* * *

><p>At the border between the Republic and the Empire, Emperor Soontir Fel sat in the command chair in the bridge of his flagship <em>Eclipse<em>. Gathered around his vessel was the full might of the Empire, the rows upon rows of gray, cobalt and black warships stretching off almost endlessly in both directions.

On the other side of the border sat only a token patrol group. Fel's comm officers reported that those ships and the other border patrol stations had received orders to stay on high alert, but the Republic vessels simply sat there, their weapons not even activated.

"We're nearing the deadline, my lord," said General Kolos, who stood a pace away, his posture stiff beneath his crisp olive-gray uniform. "If we don't embark within the next hour, we won't be able to get to Belkadan before the Burned fleet."

"The signal will come," Fel replied evenly. He glanced over at the Kuati officer. "Is my legion ready, General?"

"The 181st is ready to serve, my lord," Kolos replied. He consulted the command board next to where he stood. "The rest of the fleet reports full readiness."

"Incoming broad-band hail, my lord," the comm officer reported.

"Put it through," Fel ordered.

The screen nearby flared to life, displaying the Republic Chancellor standing at a podium, the Vice-Chancellor standing behind her and to her right.

"_This is Chancellor Amidala of the New Republic,_" she began. "_Owing to the severity of the threat against the people of the Republic which I am sworn to serve, and owing to the continued unwillingness of the Senate to ratify a treaty of alliance with the Empire, I see no other choice." _

She paused for a moment, gathering her courage. "_By my authority as Chancellor of the Republic, I hereby issue an executive order for the border patrols to stand down and allow the Imperial fleet to cross the border. Further, I also grant the Imperial fleet passage through the Republic to join the task force at Belkadan. On my order as Commander-in-Chief of all branches of the Republic military, our forces are to afford every courtesy to the Imperial fleet as they pass through our territory to aid in our defense. I thank the Emperor for his assistance in our time of need."_

With that, the transmission ended.

"Republic patrol ships standing down, sir," the sensor officer reported. "They're moving aside."

"Helm, plot a course for Belkadan, maximum possible speed," Fel ordered. "Comm, give me fleet-wide."

"Fleet-wide, sir," the comm officer replied a moment later.

"This is Emperor Fel," he said. "The order is given."

And that was that. Two minutes later, they were all in hyperspace. As he watched the chaotic blue vortex outside his bridge viewports, Fel spent a moment in silence out of respect for his counterpart in the Republic, knowing what this would cost her.

She had done her part. Now he would do his.

* * *

><p>On the Senate floor, Winter sat in numb silence while, as they had expected, Senator Fey'lya moved for an immediate vote of no confidence in both Chancellor Amidala and Vice-Chancellor Celchu. The motion was seconded, and ten minutes later, it was all over.<p>

They were out.

The Senator from Kuat nominated Fey'lya himself to serve as interim Chancellor until another general election could be held, and this too passed. His first act was to order both Padmé and Winter ejected from the Senate building immediately.

As the Senate guards reluctantly escorted them outside, Winter glanced over at Padmé and said quietly, "I hope this works."

"We have done what we could," Padmé replied serenely. "The rest is up to the others now."

* * *

><p>Aboard the <em>Phoenix<em>, Leia found herself drawn to the main control room for the battle station's superlaser. Inside, standing at the edge of the platform overlooking the cavernous shaft leading up to the array, she found her father.

Vader stood with his hands clasped behind his back over his cloak. His deep, regular breathing echoed in the huge room, the only sound besides the low bass thrumming of the superlaser's systems. Dressed as he was entirely in black, he was difficult to distinguish from the background in the dimly lit complex; from where she stood, Leia could only make him out by the lights of the control board behind him reflecting off of the glossy black curves of his helmet.

"Why are you here?" Vader rumbled without turning to look at her, the deep mechanical tones of his voice echoing several times.

"I wanted to talk to you," Leia replied, stepping forward so that the door closed behind her.

"About what?" Vader asked tersely. "Have you come to lecture me, as well?"

Leia shook her head as she walked forward to stand next to her father at the railing. "No lectures, I promise," she said. "I'm going to tell you what I think, and then I'm going to let you make your own decision."

"There seems to be some concern about my decisions," Vader said darkly. "Many seem to feel that I need to be told what to do."

"That's because your decisions affect many more people than just yourself," Leia said, looking over at him. She could see herself reflected in his helmet, her white robes standing out amidst the darkness around them. "I have a question for you."

Vader turned his head to look at her, but said nothing.

"You've been practicing your philosophy of balance between the Dark Side and the Light for more than forty years now," Leia said, placing her hands on the railing. "Tell me, in all that time, have you ever been able to achieve perfect balance?"

"I have," Vader replied, looking out at the superlaser shaft again.

"Have you?" Leia pressed. "True, perfect balance, complete neutrality, drawing equally on both sides? Have you ever reached a point at which the influence from both sides cancels out, and you are not influenced by one side more than the other? Tell me the truth."

Vader was silent for a long moment, so long she began to think he was not going to reply. Frowning to herself, Leia turned away from the railing and started back for the door.

But after only two steps, she stopped as he finally spoke: "No."

Leia paused without turning around. "No?"

"No," Vader confirmed. "I have tried. For a lifetime, I have tried. But I cannot find the true middle point. Now matter how I focus, how long I meditate, I cannot find it."

"That's because there isn't one," Leia said gently, turning to face him. "Sometimes there is no third option. You must choose one path or the other. You can fight for yourself, for your own power and advantage, or you can fight for _us_, for your family and everyone else who needs your strength in this battle."

"The Dark Side gives me my strength," said Vader.

Leia frowned. "Does it?" She walked over to stand next to him again. "Think about what's happened to you since you let it in. Think about what else you've seen." She gestured out at the room beyond. "You've actually seen how things would have gone if you had made different decisions in your life, where you'd be if you'd stayed completely Jedi or Sith. Most people can only imagine, but you've _seen_ it."

Vader shifted his feet slightly, but when he spoke, his tone was even. "I would not wish to live in either of those worlds."

"I wouldn't, either," Leia agreed. "I'm happy with the life I have now, and I wouldn't want it any different. But I am where I am because of my choices in life, and you from yours. Are you happy?"

Vader looked over at her. "What?"

"You heard me," Leia replied. "Are you happy?"

His reply was blunt and terse, almost angry: "No."

Leia raised her brows slightly. "Whose fault is that?"

Vader's helmet tilted back as he raised his chin. "Palpatine's."

"_Yours_, for listening to him," Leia rebutted. "You knew what had to be done, but you went along with him instead because he told you what you wanted to hear. You've always been in control of your own destiny. _Your_ decisions have put you where you are now. You still make your own fate." She leaned closer to him. "Mara told me you once said to her that the true character of a weapon lies in how it is wielded. I believe that is true."

She stood up straighter. "As I said, I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm just going to tell you what _I _will do. If you give up the darkness, I'll help you. It won't be easy. It will be a struggle, perhaps the hardest thing you've ever done, but if you are sincere in working to come back to the light, I will help you reach that goal. I'll forgive you for all the things you've done to me and the people I care about, because I am a Jedi."

Leia let her expression harden. "But if you abandon yourself to the Dark Side, if you become a monster again and try to seize power like you have in the past, I will fight you until one of us is dead. Because I am a Jedi. The choice is yours."

She turned and left, leaving him alone once again.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	36. Hold On For Your Life

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Six<strong>  
>(Hold On For Your Life)<p>

"Surprised Observation: There are many ships here, even more than I had expected."

In the command chair at the center of the captured Burned vessel's bridge, Jenn nodded in silent agreement, looking out at the second Star Forge's system. HK-47 was right; there were hundreds upon hundreds of warships gathered in formation here, along with patrolling cruisers, frigates, and squadrons of fighters. And this was just the third or fourth wave; on the way here, the _Phoenix_'s long-range sensors had detected a number of fleets speeding toward the galaxy in staggered waves. Even if the defenders at the Belkadan system prevailed against the first fleet, another of equal size was only days behind it, and another behind it…

Before them, the huge bronze-colored Star Forge orbited above the system's sun in the midst of the formation like a bloated spider in its web, drawing a plume of fire up into itself which it converted to more and more weapons of war.

"Anakin, get ready to bolt if this doesn't work," Corran said from the pilot's console several meters in front of her. "But don't look like we're getting ready to bolt."

"Aye, Captain; flying casual," Anakin replied jokingly, though his own tension was plain.

"How about the Sith?" Ben asked. "Have they checked in yet?"

"Just got a text-only message on the line-of-sight," Corran confirmed. "Their cloak is stable, and they're holding position just below us. Our engine emissions should cover theirs all the way in." He looked back at her. "We're ready whenever you are, Jenn."

"All right," she said as calmly as she was able. "Quiet, please. This is going to take some concentration."

She paused to take a deep, cleansing breath, then closed her eyes and sank into the link.

The Force was abuzz with the multitudes of Burned Ones and clones aboard all those ships outside. There were no thoughts as such to sense, only general impressions of orders and confirmation of tasks completed. At the center of it all, she sensed the all-too-familiar presence of Pyrron himself. Jenn braced herself, concentrating, as she felt his mind stretch out inquiringly toward hers.

This was it; she'd spent almost the entire trip out here meditating and preparing for this moment, gambling against long odds that she'd successfully extrapolated the nature of the Burned Ones' link with one another and with their Burned Lord himself.

Wordlessly, Pyrron inquired of Jenn what she and her crew were doing, and she replied that they were survivors of the Battle of Lehon, returning to report on the battle and that she personally, as an 'Ember', was returning to take command of another battle group.

Pyrron accepted this apparently without recognizing her, and gave her the mental equivalent of a 'carry on' gesture, almost distractedly adding a request that she speak to him in person once she came aboard the station.

As soon as the Burned Lord broke contact, Jenn slumped back in her chair with a great sigh of relief, unable to even summon the strength to speak. Fortunately, Corran understood anyway, and continued on toward the Star Forge.

"So it worked?" Ben asked from the sensors/communications station. From his perch atop the console, Blue Max swiveled his red photoreceptor around to look at her.

"Yes," Jenn replied wearily. She paused for a moment, gathering herself, and straightened in her chair. "I was right; Pyrron doesn't directly control all of the individual cultists himself. It seems Master Skywalker's supposition that Embers are higher-ranking members of the cult was correct."

"So, to make sure I've got all this straight," Anakin said thoughtfully, "most of the cultists are basically drones, and are controlled by Embers, who have a little more free will. In turn, these Embers take their orders from Pyrron himself, who is able to take control of them the way they control their drones."

"Right," said Corran. "Only he usually leaves them to carry out his orders on their own instead of controlling them directly, since most of his concentration is devoted to controlling the Star Forge right now."

"Which is fortunate for us," said Ben, "because Jenn can pose as an Ember on a mission. But if he tries to take control of her directly…"

"It wouldn't work," Jenn finished. "He'd know something was up immediately. So we'd better hope I don't do anything suspicious enough to make him want to do that. While we're aboard the station, I'll be using my link to pose as an Ember, with you three as my drones. I'll just have to hope I don't get asked to take command of any more drones before we get the shield down, because I'm not sure if I can."

"We're basically counting on the sheer number of Burned in the system to keep anyone from looking at us too closely," said Corran. Even through the makeup, she could see his concerned frown. In that moment, he looked human again instead of one of the orange-eyed monsters they were all pretending to be.

"We can do this," Jenn said with more confidence than she felt. "All we have to do is get to the shield generators and destroy them."

"And hope we can get off the station before a thousand psychotic fire-wielding maniacs descend on us," Anakin said grimly. "And on top of that, hope we can get away from the station before a planet-smashing laser blows the whole place to smithereens." He smirked wryly. "No pressure."

"I can interface with the Star Forge's computer systems and keep them from closing our route," Blue Max put in. "At least, I hope I can. Maybe try and stay unnoticed anyway, all right? Those Rakatan computers are grumpy, and I'm not sure I can make them cooperate."

"This wouldn't be any fun if it was too easy," said Anakin.

"The Solo half of you is just perversely delighted about fighting such long odds, isn't it?" Corran asked his apprentice amusedly.

Anakin grinned. "And the Skywalker half wouldn't be?"

Corran nodded lightly in agreement. "Good point. Your entire family is crazy."

"Why, thank you," said Ben. "We're rather proud of that."

* * *

><p>"All ships secure in their berths, sir," Ensign Thrien reported to Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was currently seated in the command chair in the <em>Phoenix<em>'s control room.

Standing a few steps away from the chair, Jacen resisted the urge to pace anxiously around the expansive circular room. The primary control room, located approximately halfway up the _Phoenix_'s command tower at its north pole, featured broad viewports around its circumference, interrupted only by curved bulkheads and large status displays.

"The masking field is operational?" Thrawn inquired, not looking up from the datapad he was perusing.

"Yes, sir," the ensign replied. "We've taken up a wide orbit, and, to sensors, should be indistinguishable from the rest of the outer-system objects. Disguised sensor buoys have been deployed throughout the system to monitor the enemy fleet and watch for the approach of any hostiles; we should go unnoticed until the shield comes down."

"We've been running drills every day," Jacen said to Thrawn. "I'm confident we can launch the fleet and have it in position within five minutes of our micro-jump into firing range."

"Continue to run drills and simulations," Thrawn replied. "See if we can get that down to three minutes." He glanced up at Jacen briefly. "Master Organa Solo's Battle Meditation can aid in that regard, I'm sure."

"I'm sure," Jacen replied a trifle uncomfortably, looking at the small reptilian ysalamir perched on its nutrient frame atop the back of Thrawn's command chair; he stood just outside the creature's sphere of effect, which forced him to stand slightly further away from Thrawn than was necessary.

"I do not require your mother's assistance," Thrawn said mildly, returning his gaze to his datapad. "I would prefer to be able to keep a clear head for this mission."

Jacen gave the ysalamir another wary glance, but did not pursue the point further. Instead, he straightened and said, "If there's nothing else, I need to go meet with my team."

Thrawn gestured without looking up from his datapad. "Dismissed."

* * *

><p>No alarm was raised as Jenn's ship approached. The monolithic bronze Star Forge sat placidly above the sun, the wreckage of the <em>Khadmous<em> still sticking out of the hull near the north pole of the station like a dagger in its back. Nor was there any sign of unusual activity when they touched down in the docking bay.

No one could be seen on the external cameras outside, either, as Jenn and Corran paused in the entryway before lowering the ramp.

"Have the Sith checked in?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he replied. "Before we went comm-silent, they confirmed their charges are linked to our detonator frequency. They're holding position up by the station's main comm antennas, waiting for our signal."

"A ship without a cloaking device would have a hard time getting up there undetected," Jenn commented. "At least they're useful for something." She turned to HK-47. "You know what to do?"

The tall assassin droid swiveled his head to look at her. "Confirmation: I and my YVHK droids will wait until you and Master Horn distract the docking bay security personnel, then we will stealthily depart the vessel and proceed to our designated targets." He gestured briefly to the small blue computer module hanging from his shoulder by a carry-strap. "Max here will deal with any computer systems that may present a problem."

"I hope," Max added uncertainly.

"Make sure you stay out of sight," Corran cautioned. "One look at you and your friends, and they'll know you don't belong."

"Sarcastic Reply: How unfortunate that you did not think to bring robes large enough to fit us. The entire plan is ruined now," said HK. "Annoyed Addendum: I am perfectly capable of stealth when the situation calls for it, Master Horn; it is one of my primary functions, and I have installed similar programming in the YVHK droids. We will be ready when you give the signal."

Corran fixed the droid with a silent glare for a moment, but did not reply. Instead he turned to Jenn and said, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she replied as she hit the ramp controls. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p>Later, Anakin and Ben sat in chairs in what had once been the lounge in their commandeered Burned vessel, bored and anxious. Then, suddenly, they both simultaneously tensed, sat up straighter, and looked over at one another.<p>

"You feel that?" Anakin asked his cousin.

"Something's happening," Ben concurred. "Do you think we've been found out?"

"Let's go check," Anakin said as he stood from his chair. Together, they hurried through the corridors to the boarding ramp.

The two young Jedi consulted the monitors for the external cameras, but saw no one outside. In fact, as far as Anakin had sensed, no one had come into the docking bay in the entire two hours they'd been here.

But still an odd tickling feeling nagged at the back of his mind. Something wasn't right here.

"I sense the Dark Side," said Ben. "Not just the underlying feeling tied into the station, either. Like it's being actively used."

"We're surrounded by a station full of homicidal maniacs who want to kill everyone in the galaxy," Anakin pointed out.

"And I know what they feel like in the Force," Ben countered. "This is something different."

* * *

><p>"Doesn't look like the Vong came down here much," Corran murmured softly as he and Jenn swiftly made their way down one of the Star Forge's three lower pylons. "I'm not seeing any of their leftover tech in this section, destroyed or otherwise."<p>

"When the station's functioning normally, there's really no reason to go into the lower pylons," Jenn replied. She made a face. "It makes for a welcome break from all the bodies the Burned just left lying around."

"Speaking of the Burned, Pyrron's going to wonder what's taking you so long to come up and report to him," Corran said, warily looking around the next corner.

"Which would be why I'm planting the charges around the plasma intake first," said Jenn. "In case he recognizes me and attacks, I want the charges already in place so you or the boys can set them off."

"_Report: Mistress Jenn, this is HK-47,_" the assassin droid's voice said over her concealed headset just then. "_We have encountered a problem: a large number of Burned are gathered at the entrances to the other two plasma intakes, and we cannot proceed inside without being detected. We dare not attempt to eliminate them, because I strongly suspect their telepathic link with the others would alert them to our actions before even I could kill them all._"

"Well, that's not good," Corran said sourly.

"Did you get the charges planted on the plasma regulators on your way down?" Jenn asked.

"_Confirmation: We did. They can be detonated at your command._"

Jenn paused in the corner of one of the switchbacks leading down the pylon to the next turbolift. "The shield generators are at the base of all three pylons near the plasma intakes," she mused aloud. "Disabling the plasma intakes will take out the generators at the same time. I'm not sure if we can do that just by disrupting the plasma regulators along the pylons."

"If the droids burst in there shooting, the Burned are going to know we're here," Corran warned. "The first thing Pyrron will do will be to shut down the turbolifts in the lower pylons, and that's a little more of a hike than I wanted to make today, especially with ten thousand Burned Ones between us and the ship."

"And I'd rather not see if Max can override that lockdown until we're a lot closer to the ship," Jenn agreed. She frowned. "If we just detonate the charges on the plasma regulators, the station will start drawing too much plasma for its systems to handle and rip itself apart. Problem is, I don't think we could get back to the docking bay before that happens. I was rather hoping to detonate the charges on the way out of the station."

"No plan survives contact with the enemy," Corran grumbled. "HK, does it look like they're waiting for you, or are they gathered there for some other reason?"

"_Report: It does not seem as if they have anticipated our arrival. There are no cultists on patrol, just approximately a dozen each gathered near the entrances to both plasma intake complexes. Puzzled Addendum: They are just… standing there, not doing anything."_

Jenn heard the whine of a powered door opening, and she straightened, dropping her face into the neutral expression worn by most Burned. Beside her, Corran did the same. Quickly, she transmitted a double-click through her comlink, indicating she was going silent.

A moment later, a dozen gray-robed figures filed down the switchbacks above them, and their leader, presumably human beneath the scars and tattoos, paused as he saw Jenn, his glowing orange eyes gazing into hers.

Wordlessly, the Burned One telepathically inquired whether Jenn and her 'spark' had also been dispatched to guard the plasma intake against the intruders.

She immediately replied that they had, though privately she wondered what was going on; clearly the Burned knew intruders were aboard the station, but they also clearly did not know about Jenn and her team, since none of these cultists showed the slightest signs of suspicion as they regarded her and Corran. Who, then, were they guarding against?

The group of Burned moved past them unconcernedly, and Jenn and Corran fell in at the back of the group. They exchanged a wary glance, both unsure of what was going on. For the time being, Jenn considered this to be a blessing in disguise; under the pretext of helping to secure the intake complex against the intruders, she and Corran could still get in to plant their charges.

Getting out, however, would be a completely different challenge.

* * *

><p>"That was weird," said Anakin.<p>

"What was?" Ben asked, crossing to where his cousin stood looking at the screen for the exterior cameras.

"A group of Burned wandered into the docking bay for a minute and looked around, then left," Anakin replied.

Ben frowned thoughtfully. "Do they know we're here?"

"Still no, I think," said Anakin. "It seems like they're looking for something- Wait a second."

"What?" Ben inquired, moving to look for himself.

Anakin pointed to the screen. "What's he doing in here? They're not supposed to be aboard the station yet."

A moment later, Ben saw it: a black-cloaked, stealthily moving figure headed right towards them through the dimly lit docking bay.

* * *

><p>Four black-cloaked and hooded figures slipped silently through the shadows in the Star Forge's command level. Little could be seen beneath their hoods except for the twin glowing yellow points of their eyes, but their shoulders and torsos were oddly bulky, with strange angles sticking out in places where none of them had limbs or joints.<p>

As they passed into a large chamber, equivalent to what had been the war room on the other, destroyed Star Forge, one of the Sith briefly paused for a dispassionate glance at the remains of what had once occupied the room's central holoprojector; on this station, instead of a situational hologram, a dense web of coral and organic connections surrounding a vaguely humanoid figure had once occupied the projector well before being set on fire and the remains left to lie where they fell.

The four Sith moved swiftly through the passage to the viewing platform, which was also strewn with blackened, contorted Yuuzhan Vong bodies. They paid the corpses no mind, except to kick them out of the way.

One of the long-broken droid-assembly machines in the passage suddenly sprayed a stream of sparks just as the last Sith in the line passed it, apparently by coincidence. She paused and gave the machine a suspicious glance as she swiped the sparks off of her cloak, but there was no further activity, so she continued on after her comrades.

Upon reaching the master control room, they found that the chamber was currently extended above the outer hull, the huge viewports above the viewing platform displaying the open black expanse of space. Outside, the gathered fleet of flame-painted warships could be seen, waiting patiently for their fellows still under construction in the factory to join them.

"Not even a single guard," one of the Sith sneered.

"Set the ysalamiri on either side of the master control console," the leader of the four ordered, reaching up to undo the clasp of his cloak. "And remember to stay within their sphere of effect."

The other three removed their cloaks as well, revealing ysalamiri on portable nutrient frames strapped to their chests over their studded leather uniforms. Working quickly, the Sith - all four of them humanoids of indeterminate species beneath their red and black tattoos - affixed two of the nutrient frames to the railing and placed the other two on the floor next to the broad viewports, creating a Force-empty bubble in a rough square around the master control console.

The leader idly rubbed a gloved fingertip along the side of his shaved-bald head above his ear, pacing impatiently. "What sort of security does the console have?"

"None," said the Sith standing at the console, a woman with long black hair pulled into a tight braid at the nape of her neck. "Not even a password."

"Fools," scoffed another, a man with angular patterns shaved into his hair.

The fourth, a large man whose black hair was slicked straight back, said nothing, merely maintaining position next to one of the ysalamiri, his eyes locked on the door.

"Find the lockdown protocol which seals off this section," said the leader. "Once that's done, disable the communications and external sensors."

* * *

><p>None of the Burned seemed to notice as Jenn slipped inside the intake complex to plant the charges. Corran stood near the door where he could keep an eye on the group and let her know if anyone got curious.<p>

The plasma intake complex was, like so many other rooms on the Star Forge, huge; nearly a kilometer in diameter by Jenn's estimation. Much of that space was taken up by the stream of plasma being drawn up into the station, surrounded by a polarized force field which protected the rest of the complex from the intense heat and light of the star-matter. However, the complex was still uncomfortably hot, and the plasma itself provided the only source of illumination aside from dim lighting strips which outlined the catwalks and monitoring stations scattered around the enormous circular chamber. A low, reverberating thrum pulsed through the chamber in regular intervals, a deep bass noise Jenn felt more through vibrations in the metal floor than actually heard. It was enough to give her a headache, but fortunately, she wouldn't be here long.

According to Revan, the best way to disrupt the intakes was to plant charges on the walls of the complex, so that when they exploded, they would open the three huge chambers at the very bottom of the station to space. At best, the station's automated systems would detect the hull breach and immediately cease drawing plasma from the sun. If the explosion also destroyed the shield generators, so much the better. If not, the shield was such a huge energy drain that the reactor would run out of power quickly anyway, especially if hit with a Death Star blast.

At worst, the opposite would happen, and the station's plasma intake would go out of control and rip it apart. Either way, being aboard the station when the charges went off, especially anywhere in the three lower pylons, would not be a good idea.

Jenn paused in the middle of one of the catwalks, as if looking around the gigantic circular complex, and very carefully stretched out into the Force. The lower hem of her robe shifted subtly, and an explosive charge floated out and quickly disappeared under the catwalk

Above her, Corran also very carefully stretched out into their link with the Burned, running interference so that they didn't sense what she was doing. Ideally, their positions would be reversed, since Jenn had better control over the link, but unfortunately, Corran had no telekinetic ability and therefore couldn't plant the charges; one of the trade-offs for his special energy absorption ability, as she understood it. But, that was why they'd gone in as a team.

Jenn moved as casually as she was able around the complex for the next several minutes, occasionally pausing to telekinetically remove charges from the numerous pockets of the fatigues she wore beneath her robe and plant them along the outer walls.

_Better hurry up,_ Corran sent to her through the Force. _I'm starting to get some funny looks up here._

_Almost done_, Jenn sent back. _Just three more charges._

_That's odd_, he sent a moment later. _Four Sith just walked out of the turbolift. What are they doing down here?_

_Unasked-for reinforcements, maybe?_ Jenn replied.

Suddenly she felt him tense. _No, I don't think so._

* * *

><p>"Curious," a deep, raspy voice rang out across the master control room.<p>

All four of the Sith gathered around the console tensed, their hands going to their lightsabers.

A tall, broad-shouldered figure in a gray robe stepped into view from a shadowed alcove along the far wall near the entrance. He reached up to lower his hood, revealing a bald, heavily scarred head tattooed in patterns of swirling flame.

"I can see you with my own eyes, yet I cannot feel you," said the man, as he walked closer. "Are you real?"

The leader of the Sith ignited his scarlet lightsaber. "Real… and deadly," he said boastfully. "More than powerful enough to destroy a single weakling cultist like you."

"I sense no power within you," said the Burned Lord. Experimentally, he raised a hand and sent a blast of fire out at the four of them, but it halted at the edge of the ysalamiri's sphere of effect, as if washing over an invisible barrier.

The Sith with the pattern-shaved hair smirked. "Your powers have no effect on us."

"An appropriately cowardly defense," said the Burned Lord. "I thought you Sith prided yourselves on your strength. Are you so weak you must hide behind trickery?"

"I will show you strength!" the man shouted back, and he vaulted over the railing, lightsaber blazing in one hand.

Now the Burned Lord smirked. "Far too easy," he said disdainfully, raising one hand.

The other three Sith shouted warnings to their comrade, but it was already too late. The man raised his own hand, but lightning had barely begun to crackle between his fingers before points of orange light began to glow from his ears, from his nostrils, from inside his collar and the cuffs of his sleeves.

* * *

><p>Jenn heard the sound of multiple lightsabers igniting echo across the plasma intake complex.<p>

Three things happened very quickly:

One Sith attacked the Burned, and the link rippled in alarm as the rest of the cultists sensed what was happening.

Another Sith attacked Corran, and he reflexively dropped out of the link to shift into combat readiness.

Jenn tried to disguise this herself, but her concentration was stretched too thin, and Pyrron's attention was drawn to her like a searchlight to sudden movement in the night.

She paused only long enough to mutter, "Oh, _frell!"_ and then she sprang into action.

No longer bothering to disguise what she was doing, Jenn snatched the remaining charges from her pockets and quickly hurled them out into their positions, frantically settling them in place and priming them. Even as she did so, three black-cloaked figures leaped into the room in long Force-enhanced arcs, lightsabers blazing.

Up above, the Burned had turned their roiling fury upon both Corran and the remaining Sith. The Jedi Master was absorbing their power and sending it right back at them, which kept them at bay for now.

As the three Sith ran towards her, Jenn quickly slipped out of the confining gray cassock and held it by the collar in one hand, drawing her lightsaber with the other. Around her, a deep, whining hum echoed through the walls as the shield started to go up.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted across the complex at the Sith. "You just wrecked our whole battle plan!"

"That's because we don't want to destroy the station," said one of the Sith, the obnoxious Zeltron whose name Jenn had never bothered to learn. "We're claiming it for ourselves, as is our right as masters of the Dark Side!"

Jenn sensed Pyrron's attention being drawn away from her; evidently more Sith were even now attacking him wherever he was. That wasn't going to last long, though.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Jedi," the Zeltron woman said with a fierce grin as she slowly stalked along the catwalk toward Jenn. "Now you will see what a _real_ warrior can do!"

She charged forward and leaped at Jenn, blade held high, but the Jedi Master didn't even move; she just altered the Zeltron's arc with a brief telekinetic shove. As she missed the edge of the catwalk, the Zeltron only had time for a startled shout before the plasma intake at the center of the room sucked her in through the force field and she disappeared in a bright flash of fire.

"Either of you want to waste more time with pointless arrogant boasting, or shall we do this?" Jenn wearily inquired of the other two Sith.

The two remaining Sith paused, looked at one another for a moment, then turned and ran the other way.

"That's the smartest thing you've done all day," Jenn muttered angrily, letting her lightsaber go out.

As she clipped her lightsaber to her belt, she thought about what to do now that their cover was thoroughly blown. She decided to go ahead and drop out of the link, since Pyrron knew where she was now and there was nothing she could do about it. There was no way she'd be able to fool him a second time, not even while he was distracted with the Sith.

Using one sleeve of her robe, Jenn began to wipe the makeup off of her face. "Why couldn't these idiots have just stayed hidden?" she grumbled to herself as she walked up the catwalks to help Corran.

* * *

><p>"Aw, they must have snuck into another docking bay or something!" Anakin exclaimed irritably, drawing his lightsaber from his sleeve. "They followed us in, and now they're trying to take over the Star Forge before we can wreck it too much to be repaired."<p>

"What a stupid thing to do," Ben muttered in equal irritation. "What an incredibly stupid, selfish, short-sighted, idiotic thing to do! They just blew our whole plan for no reason."

"Palpatine seems to have been the last Sith Lord who understood the concept of subtlety," Anakin said as he watched the lone Sith fight against a crowd of gray-robed cultists who charged into the hangar. "These new ones clearly don't follow his philosophy."

Ben scoffed. "If they were smart, they wouldn't be Sith. So what are we going to do?"

"Pyrron knows Jenn and Corran are down at the base of Pylon One," Anakin said, voicing what he sensed. "Maybe we can take the ship down there, cut our way in with our lightsabers, and rescue them-" He stopped as his danger sense flared suddenly, and he slapped the ramp controls, opening the hatch. "Out, out!"

Ben needed no urging, as he had also sensed it. The two of them raced down the ramp and across the hangar bay, just barely in time to get clear of the blast wave as point-defense turrets swiveled down out of the ceiling and opened fire on their ship.

Moving with Force-enhanced speed, the boys sprinted out of the hangar past the crowd of Burned trying to get in to fight the Sith. They cleared the heavy bay door with only a meter to spare as it slammed closed and their ship exploded inside.

"I think it's pretty safe to say Pyrron knows where _we_ are, too!" Ben growled in frustration as they ran down the corridor away from the cultists pursuing them. "Karking Sith!"

"How come the docking bays on our Star Forge didn't have those defense turrets?" Anakin complained as they rounded a corner. "That's just not fair!"

* * *

><p>"That's all of them!" Corran called down to Jenn as he appeared at the railing of the overlook platform near the entrance of the intake complex. "Now what?"<p>

"Now we see how far up this pylon we can get before a hundred thousand Burned charge down it at us," she called back, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. "It's my own fault. This is what I get for trusting a Sith." She raised a hand to her headset. "Our cover's blown, HK."

"_Sarcastic Reply: Oh, is that why all the alarms are going off and the shield has gone up? I never would have guessed,"_ the assassin droid said grumpily. She could hear blaster-fire over the line. "_Expectant Query: Time for Plan Beta, I assume?_"

Despite the situation, Jenn couldn't help but smirk in grim amusement. "Right, shoot everything in sight and run away."

"_Amused Reply: Somehow it does not surprise me that you have adopted Atton Rand's favored strategy. We will plant our charges and meet you back at the ship as quickly as we are able. HK-47 out."_

"_Bad news, Jenn!_" Anakin's voice broke in almost immediately. "_Our ship is gone. A Sith came into the hangar and the Burned came in after him!_"

"Probably deliberately giving away our position so Pyrron will focus on us," Corran guessed. "Good thing we're in a starship factory; we can just take another one."

"We're nowhere near the factory," Jenn said as she jogged up another ramp. "But the boys are."

"_Right,_" said Ben. "_We'll find a ship that'll hold all of us. We'll call back when we do._"

Before she could even tell them to be careful, they cut the transmission.

"What are those?" Jenn asked, gesturing to four scorched, melted backpack-like objects scattered on the platform in front of the door.

"Ysalamiri nutrient frames," Corran replied as she approached. "The Sith must have been using them to sneak around the station." He looked over at Jenn. "Hey, why didn't we think of that? It would have been a lot easier than trying to use the link."

Jenn raised her brows slightly. "Would _you_ have thought of deliberately using one of those on yourself?"

Corran hesitated, looking down at the dead, charred creatures with disgust. "Well… no," he admitted. "I try to avoid these things if I can."

Jenn nudged one of the frames aside with the toe of her boot. "Well, there you go, then."

Corran continued wiping the makeup off his face, but was only partially successful, leaving smears of red and orange coloring streaked across his cheeks and forehead. "I have a really crazy idea for how to get up the pylon without running into the Burned," he said.

"Crazy ideas are about all we have left at this point," Jenn replied, scrubbing at her face with her gray robe to remove the last traces of her own makeup.

Just then the door to the complex slammed closed with a heavy clang, trapping them inside.

"About time," Corran growled, entirely unsurprised. He ignited his lightsaber. "I'll take this side."

Jenn nodded, tossed her robe aside, then drew and ignited her own blade. Together, they cut through the edge of the heavy door, which was just dense enough to keep their task from going quickly. But in only a few minutes, they managed to cut through the entire outline of the door.

Corran stepped back as he finished the last bit at the top, and as soon as he was out of the way, Jenn released her telekinetic grip on the door and allowed it to fall into the room with a thunderous crash.

"Just in case they didn't already know where we are," Corran said dryly as the last echoes died away. He deactivated his lightsaber, shrugged out of his own gray cassock, and threw it aside as they left the complex and headed back up into the pylon.

"You have any charges left?" Jenn asked him as they jogged up the first switchback ramp.

Corran quickly patted at the pockets of his dark gray fatigues. "Nope," he replied. "I gave them all to you before you went in."

"Too bad," Jenn panted as they rounded a corner. "I was going to blow up this section so no one could get in behind us and mess with the charges." She looked back at him. "So what's your idea?"

He looked down almost reluctantly at her left hand, which was covered in recently-healed burn scarring. "You're not going to like it."

* * *

><p>"Now are you glad I insisted we fly out inside the perimeter of the shield anyway?" Han Solo said from the pilot's seat of his starship, turning to look behind himself. "I <em>knew<em> the Sith were gonna pull something stupid like this."

"Congratulations on your insightful deduction," Darth Vader replied with withering sarcasm. From his seat behind Han, he gestured brusquely toward the station. "Now find us a docking bay."

"No, wait," Revan said from the other passenger seat. "Ben and Anakin are near the factory in the central section, and they need our help. Head for their position."

"Let's hope they're not in _too_ much danger, since we can't go too fast," Han replied. "Even this fancy new masking field can't disguise how strange it would be for a chunk of space rock to suddenly change course. We screw up, and every one of those ships out there is gonna come running our way."

"Perhaps we should summon the _Phoenix_ and begin the attack now to provide cover," said Vader.

"With the alarm raised in there, they probably suspect we're here anyway," Revan agreed. "We might as well hit them now before they can prepare their defenses even more."

The comm buzzed, and, seeing it was on the encrypted frequency, Han put it through. "_Hail: HK-47 calling Master Revan. Come in, Master Revan._" The droid's voice was scratchy and distorted with interference from the encryption protocols, but still understandable.

Revan gave Han a 'go-ahead' gesture, and he opened a channel. "Revan here. What is it, HK?"

"_Aggravated Report: The traitorous Sith have given away our positions and are attempting to commandeer the station for themselves. I have issued orders to all of my YVHK droids to blast those moronic meatbags on sight. Further, the doors to all three plasma intake complexes have sealed, presumably on Pyrron's order. Masters Horn and Talmak were able to plant their charges, but neither my squad nor Beta Squad were able to get to our targets. Blue Max is attempting to open the door, but I estimate our position will be overrun significantly before we can accomplish our goal." _In the background, over the sound of blaster-fire, Max could be heard cursing with increasing vitriol as he struggled with the computer.

"We should send in Jacen and Qeris' teams," Han said, looking back at the Jedi Master.

"Agreed," Revan said with a brief nod.

"Where are the boys?" Han asked, carefully changing course.

Revan pointed out of the viewport at the huge bronze-colored station. "Near the factory entrance on Level Seven."

* * *

><p>Jenn stared at her fellow Jedi Master for a moment, nonplussed. "You're right; I don't like this idea," she said flatly.<p>

Corran shrugged helplessly. "The turbolift is locked down; it's either this or fight our way up on foot through an entire pylon's worth of Burned." He attempted a reassuring grin. "If it helps, we're probably the only two Jedi who could pull this off."

"It doesn't help," Jenn replied. She shrugged herself. "But I can't think of anything better, either. All right, how do we do this?"

"Well, part of each pylon is just one huge shaft to draw the star-matter up into the factory, processing and converting it to usable materials along the way," Corran said, looking intently at the wall nearby. "The plasma itself is still sheathed by the force-field we saw in the intake complex, so that'll offer us some shielding."

Jenn looked over at him, one eyebrow raised skeptically. "And you're sure you can absorb and deflect the remaining heat? We are talking about the stuff stars are made of."

Corran nodded determinedly. "Well, I wouldn't want to try this in open vacuum, unshielded, but yeah, I'm pretty sure I can do this if we don't take too long."

"I've never been that good at self-levitation," Jenn warned.

Corran shrugged again. "Nobody is, really. It's like trying to pick yourself up off the ground; most Jedi just can't wrap their heads around it." He gestured toward the wall. "That's why you're going to sit on my shoulders and focus on levitating _me_. We do this quickly enough, we won't get more than a slight sunburn." He grimaced. "I hope."

"All right then, let's do this," Jenn said as she unfastened the jacket of her fatigues, then tossed it aside. She took her lightsaber in one hand and pulled a pair of goggles out of a compartment on her belt with the other.

Corran paused in removing his own jacket, gesturing to her heavily scarred left arm and shoulder, which were left bare by her sleeveless gray undershirt. "If there was another way to do this…"

Jenn opened and closed her burned fingers. "These aren't the only scars I have," she said shortly. "They're just the most visible." She settled her polarized goggles into place. "Come on, let's find a maintenance opening into the plasma shaft. We're gonna have company any minute."

They swiftly located a maintenance hatch, though they had to break the electronic lock to override the safety protocols; apparently the hatch was specifically designed not to open while the intake shaft was drawing plasma, further highlighting what a dodgy idea this was.

"Desperate times," Jenn murmured.

She placed her boot on Corran's interwoven fingers and stepped up to swing her other leg around his neck. Once she was settled in place on his shoulders, she closed her eyes and sank into concentration, drawing deeply upon the Force.

As Corran placed his hands on her knees, she sensed him doing the same. The heat from the open hatch was like an oven on full blast, the glare nearly blinding even through their polarized goggles. Jenn's burned arm ached, echoing the agonizing pain that had left the scars, but she ignored it, further pushing aside all distractions.

She focused on getting a secure telekinetic grip on her comrade, preparing to lift their combined weight upwards as quickly as she could. She would have to propel them faster than she had ever lifted a living thing before, she knew, but she pushed her worries about this aside, keeping herself entirely in the moment, devoted completely to her task.

Corran began absorbing heat, converting it to an invisible protective shield for them both. He took a last breath of the relatively cool air outside the shaft, then stepped forward into nothingness.

They fell for a pair of heartbeats, but Jenn's concentration prevailed, and as she focused, sweating both with the effort and with the almost unbearable heat of the intake shaft, they began to float upwards, moving faster and faster with each passing second.

As the two Jedi Masters worked together, they both began to convert the heat energy into telekinetic power focused through Jenn, and shielding focused through Corran; the more energy they absorbed, the faster they moved, and the stronger the shield became.

Jenn's eyes were closed, but still she could sense the walls of the shaft whipping by in an endless blur of motion, the plasma stream across the kilometers-wide shaft a streak of yellow light.

Focused completely on drawing them both up the shaft like a blaster bolt through the barrel of a rifle, Jenn lost all track of time. Seconds seemed to drag by like hours, the effort almost too much to bear, the heat seeming to pass through her in waves and burning away a bit at a time, until she felt that every part of her was aflame, that she _was_ flame, her physical form scorched entirely away.

Finally she sensed that they were drawing near the top of the shaft, and only moments later they soared out into the open space of the factory.

* * *

><p>Hidden in one of the control rooms overlooking the factory, Anakin looked up as he saw a bright spot, like a meteor streaking across the sky, fly upwards from the bottom of the cavernously huge spherical space, moving incredibly fast.<p>

"That's Jenn and Corran," Ben observed, astonished.

Carefully, as subtly as he was able, Anakin called out to his Master and Jenn through the Force, beckoning them to direct their flight towards the boys' position. The spot changed course, and by wordless guidance from Anakin, slowly floated to a halt inside an airlock next to the control room. Anakin heard the clack of keys somewhere off to his left as Ben swiftly opened and then closed the airlock door.

Once the outer door was closed, he and his cousin ran through the adjoining chambers and opened the airlock as soon as the automated pressurization was complete. There they found Jenn and Corran both sprawled facedown on the floor, their clothes charred, blackened and smoking, their skin bright red as if from severe radiation burns. Both Masters' hair and skin had a faint sheen of encrusted salt from flash-dried sweat.

However, in only moments, the angry red hue faded from both Corran and Jenn's skin as they both drew on the Force to heal themselves. The airlock chamber was uncomfortably hot from the residual heat radiating from their bodies, but rapidly cooled as the fans circulated fresh air through the room.

Corran was the first to move, groaning, and one entire leg of his trousers broke with a brittle crackle and flaked away as he bent his knee, starting to roll himself over. Anakin swiftly shrugged out of his gray robe and handed it to his Master as the man sat up. Nearby, Ben gave his robe to Jenn as her scorched clothing also flaked away with her movements. As far as Anakin could tell, only their lightsabers had gone through the ordeal unharmed; both Masters held their Jedi weapons in one hand, while the rest of the contents of their pockets and belt compartments were little more than melted scraps of metal and plastic scattered on the floor.

Jenn draped the robe over one shoulder to cover herself as she gingerly sat up, wincing, and leaned back against the wall of the small square airlock. "Let's never do that again," she said wearily to Corran, her voice hoarse.

The other Jedi Master nodded tiredly. "One hundred percent agreed."

"That was amazing!" Ben exclaimed. "I can't believe you survived that!"

"Me, neither," Jenn said with wry amusement. "Do me a favor and see if you can find a few liters of water, hmm?" She glanced down at her now-bare legs and feet beneath the broad drape of the robe. "Also some clothes," she added, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"There are some clone barracks nearby; I'll see what I can find," Anakin volunteered. "Ben, you stay here and help them back into the control room."

Ben nodded once. "We managed to lose the Burned Ones who were chasing us," he explained. "Only a matter of time until they find us again, though. Sorry to rush you, but we're going to have to move quickly."

"Naturally," Corran panted. "Days like this never let you catch your breath."

* * *

><p>"I have to warn you, I've never been very good at energy absorption," Ami Skywalker murmured to Qeris as the two of them stood near the airlock in their shielded, masked dropship.<p>

Qeris adjusted one of her armored gauntlets, checking the seal. "It's not one of my strengths, either," she admitted calmly. She smiled at the girl. "I suppose that puts us on equal footing with our troops," she said with a slight gesture to the black-armored commandos visible through the open hatch.

"I know Jedi Masters who aren't on equal footing with those guys," Ami said half-jokingly. "It's me I'm worried about." She thumped a gloved hand against the breastplate of her black armor. "Even with this fancy suit Jaina helped me make on the way out here, I'm still not sure I can hold up against the kind of power the Burned can throw at us."

"Anxiety before a battle is perfectly natural," said Qeris. "But remember our discussion earlier; the Light Side gives great resistance to the power of the Burned. Maintain focus, keep your calm-"

"And keep breathing," Ami finished for her. "I know." She smiled, though her nervousness was still plain. "Thanks." Her smile turned slightly mischievous. "You know, I can see why Jacen likes you."

"I am rather fond of him as well," Qeris replied evenly, though she allowed a hint of humor into her expression.

"So how serious are you guys?" Ami asked curiously. She paused, as if just then realizing this might have been overly forward. "Er, if you don't mind me asking."

"Quite serious," Qeris replied. She smiled slightly. "And I don't mind you asking. As a member of his family, your concern for him is quite natural."

"Yeah, we were all pretty concerned there for a while," said Ami. "No offense, but he was acting pretty alarming when you guys first came back."

"He was," Qeris agreed with a slight frown. "Fortunately, he seems to be past all that now."

"I think it was because of you," Ami said seriously. "Now, I'll admit you and I haven't talked much, so we don't really know each other that well, but our family has always been pretty close, so I know Jacen. From what little people have been willing to tell me about what happened to you guys… I'm not sure if he would have done what he did if you hadn't been with him. Don't tell him I said this, but I don't think he would have made it without you. He could have fallen for real."

Qeris nodded solemnly. "I wouldn't have made it without him, either," she said softly.

Ami just stood next to her in silence for a moment, then smiled to lighten the mood. "Well, assuming we all survive this," she said, clapping a friendly hand on Qeris' shoulder, "welcome to the family. You don't have to be crazy to be one of us…"

"…but it helps," Qeris finished amusedly.

Ami grinned. "See? You're fitting in already."

* * *

><p>In another shielded, masked dropship many kilometers away near the third pylon, Jaina also stood next to the airlock as she waited for the ship to draw into position, performing last-minute checks of her own armor. Her helmet sat on a shelf nearby along with her lightsaber and a few other assorted pieces of equipment.<p>

She looked up as the door opened and her brother walked in, dressed in his own suit of armor and sweeping black cloak. For some reason, it struck Jaina as encouraging that he no longer wore his hair in a precisely trimmed military style, and had instead let it turn into a shorter version of his usual tousled mop.

Jacen grinned. "Hey Jaina, where does a full-grown rancor sit?"

Jaina struggled to maintain a straight face. "Anywhere he wants."

Somehow, Jacen's grin grew even broader. "That's right. But, do you know why TIE fighters scream in space?"

"Because they miss their mothership," Jaina replied between unsuccessfully suppressed chuckles.

Jacen frowned in mock disappointment. "I've told you these before, haven't I?"

"You have," Jaina said with a smile. "But for once, I don't mind."

Jacen shrugged lightly, but then his expression turned more serious. "Look at us, huh?" he said. "A year ago, could you have even imagined this is where we'd end up?"

"Well, I sorta figured you'd grow a scruffy-looking beard eventually," Jaina joked. She gestured around. "But the rest of this? Not so much."

A light smile crossed Jacen's face at her joke, but it faded quickly. "You know, there's a good chance we might not live through this," he said quietly. "So, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted when I first came back. I should never have spoken to you like that."

"You already apologized," said Jaina. "And I've already forgiven you." She allowed a slight wry smile to quirk one corner of her mouth. "Just don't do it again."

Jacen mirrored her expression. "Deal."

"_Almost in position, Commander_," the pilot said through the intercom.

Jacen pressed the 'reply' button on the wall panel next to him. "Acknowledged."

Jaina picked up her lightsaber and stood ready next to the door. "Here we go again."

Jacen took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Things are at their worst," he said. "Now we get to find out who we all really are."

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: My apologies if I haven't replied to your reviews recently. Darth Real Life has been demanding much more of my time lately, and I haven't been able to get online much the last few weeks. But please know that your comments are very much appreciated. Major thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	37. Only The Strong Survive

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Seven<strong>  
>(Only The Strong Survive)<p>

Malysa Kolos focused mainly on keeping her calm as she listened to the conversation between Admiral Ackbar and Interim Chancellor Fey'lya in the former's office aboard _Home One_.

"With all due respect, Acting Chancellor," Ackbar said patiently, "I think it is possible that you are not fully aware of all the factors in play here."

"_I know enough,_" Fey'lya retorted dismissively. "_The Imperial fleet is trespassing in our space, and I have no ships to intercept them with because you've got them all on some idiotic paranoid operation at the edge of the galaxy. Now that I'm Chancellor, I can issue an official order as your Commander-in-Chief to-_"

Suddenly bursts of static flickered across the transmission before it broke up entirely and the connection was lost.

Ackbar looked across his desk at Malysa, who sat in her chair with a studiously innocent expression, pretending to examine her fingernails.

"The HoloNet relays in this sector are notoriously unreliable," she said mildly. "It's possible one of the relays between us and Alderaan has gone offline." She looked up at the admiral with feigned concern. "We may be completely on our own out here."

"How unfortunate," Ackbar said dryly. "I shall have to lodge a complaint with HoloNet maintenance."

"You should," Malysa said, unable to completely suppress a sly smile. "I guess now you'll just have to use your own judgment, without any input from our new Chancellor."

Ackbar gave her the Mon Cal equivalent of an ironic smirk. "A terrible inconvenience, to be sure."

* * *

><p>On the bridge of the <em>Obi-Wan Kenobi<em>, Wedge similarly had to contain his disappointment as he heard the news. "What _will_ we do now?" he said, his tone dry enough to vaporize a small lake.

"_Us poor dumb old boys are gonna have to think for ourselves,_" one of the pilots said over the carrier group frequency. "_It'll be a disaster._"

"_Cut the chatter, Rogue Nine,_" said Tycho Celchu, though Wedge could hear a hint of amusement in his friend's voice. "Old Ben, _any estimates on when the Imperial fleet is going to get here?"_

"Based on their last check-in, I estimate about three hours, Rogue Leader," Wedge replied.

Tycho switched to a private channel. "_That only puts them about an hour ahead of the Burned fleet,_" he said grimly. "_Cutting it pretty close."_

"This whole operation is cutting it close," said Wedge. "If the team out in the satellite galaxy fails, we're in big trouble."

"_Just like the good old days,_" Tycho said wryly. He switched back to the general frequency. "_All right, back to work, Rogues. Let's see how much more junk we can spread around out there."_

"_I got another load of mines for you whenever you're ready, Rogue Leader,_" Booster Terrik put in. "_And then me and the _Venture_ are gone._"

"General, hyperspace activity!" the sensor officer reported suddenly. "Incoming contacts in the outer system."

"From which direction?" Wedge asked, leaning forward in his chair.

The sensor officer read his monitors for a moment before answering. "From outside the galactic plane, sir. Telemetry from the sensor buoys confirms it's the Burned fleet."

"Damn!" Wedge swore, turning to his command board to bring up the sensor readings on his own screen. "Comm, give me fleet-wide."

"Channel open, sir."

"All ships, this is General Antilles. The first wave of the Burned fleet has arrived in the outer system earlier than expected. Repeat, Burned vessels in-system now."

"_This is Ackbar,_" the Mon Calamarian admiral's gravelly voice said a moment later. "_All ships to battle positions. Deploy droid-control ships and activate mines._"

"Comm, get me the _Errant Venture_," Wedge ordered. When the channel was open, he continued. "Booster, you still have that cloaking device?"

Booster paused rather tellingly. "_Er…_"

"Yes, I know I told you to get rid of it," Wedge said patiently. "But right now I don't care how many laws you're breaking with that big red monstrosity of yours; I need your help."

"_Yeah, okay,_" Booster conceded. "_I'll have my techs hook it back up. Give us a few minutes._" He paused. "_Having been a part of a few of your other plans, I want a great big reward on the off chance whatever you're about to do works. Enough to fix the _Venture_ up real nice._"

Wedge allowed himself a small, grim smile. "Booster, if this works, I'll transfer the credits into your account personally. Call me back when you're ready."

* * *

><p>Out in the satellite galaxy, Han let the <em>Millennium Falcon<em> slowly drift to a halt. The immense Star Forge outside completely filled the viewports with its bronze bulk, given distinction only by the luminous shapes of the few viewports visible at this distance and angle.

In the seat behind him, Darth Vader leaned forward. "What is it?" he demanded. "Why are you stopping?"

"We're almost in range of their point-defense turrets," Han explained as he eased up on the controls. "Even if their sensors are telling them we're an asteroid, this is still closer than space junk ought to be." He scowled at the huge space station outside, knowing what he would have to do. "When we try to board, they're going to know this is really a ship no matter what their sensors are telling them, and they're gonna throw everything they have at us. Ordinarily, I wouldn't admit this, but… I'm not sure I can fly through all that. If we're gonna get to Anakin and Ben's group, we're going to have to do some serious maneuvering while dodging some equally serious firepower."

With great reluctance, Han released the controls and stood, then turned to look at the black-armored figure sitting behind him. He took a deep breath, hesitated for a further moment, then wordlessly stepped out of the way.

Chewbacca snarled something better left untranslated and got up from his own chair as Luke appeared in the cockpit hatchway.

Vader stood from his chair and rose to his full height, looking down at Han with an expression unreadable behind his mask. Something in his posture suggested respect in the silent look he gave Han through his opaque black lenses, though it could just as easily have been contempt.

"Hey, not a scratch," Han warned as Vader sat down in the pilot's chair.

"I will treat the ship at least as well as you do," Vader replied sarcastically as he spun the chair around and looked over the controls.

Han began to step forward, a caustic retort on its way up, but Luke placed a hand on his chest to gently but firmly hold him back.

"We'll take care of her, Han," Luke said softly. "I'll make sure of it."

Han bit back his fury and settled instead for glaring at the back of the Dark Lord's helmet. He raised a hand to point a finger at Luke. "See that you do!" he snapped, then turned and left the cockpit.

Chewbacca woofed an interrogative as they walked down the corridor, to which Han replied, "'Cause I can't sit up there and watch this."

As he entered the main hold, Mara looked up at him from her seat at one end of the curved acceleration couch. "It's for the good of the mission," she said solemnly. "You're showing some real maturity here, Solo."

"Yeah, don't remind me," Han growled as he headed for the turrets. "Chewie, Artoo, you're on damage control."

The blue and white astromech bleeped in acknowledgment, and Chewbacca snarled grumpily, but fetched his toolbox out of its storage compartment.

Han paused next to the ladder to look back inside the hold. "Well, you coming with me or what, Red?"

Mara smirked lightly as she stood. "I call the dorsal turret."

Han frowned. "_I_ get the dorsal turret."

"Not if you don't call it first," Mara replied as she sauntered past him, still smirking.

Han sighed and shook his head as he started down the ladder. "What was that you were just saying about maturity?"

* * *

><p>As the <em>Phoenix<em> prepared for the micro-jump further into the system, Leia stood on the balcony in the throne room at the top of the command tower and looked at the chair in front of the huge, panoramic viewport. Technically, this was no longer a throne room, as the throne itself had been removed and replaced with a standard Imperial-style command chair, but still she could sense the echoes lingering in this place.

She had heard the story from Luke and Mara, and the parts Jacen was willing to talk about, but until now Leia had resisted coming up to the throne room, the place where her counterpart had spent so much time, the place where she had spun her schemes and ordered untold horrors upon her subjects.

The place where her son had killed her.

Though the room was largely bare now, the layout indicated that it had once been sumptuously furnished, the entire chamber visible from the throne platform. Disturbingly, Leia recognized much of her own personal tastes in what remained of the decorations and the overall architecture.

Lady Vader had been a cruel, sadistic Sith Lord, but on some level she and Leia were the same person, and that unnerved her to no end. Until she had boarded this station for the first time, she could only have imagined in nightmares what she could have been like under the corruption of the Dark Side. Now, here was the evidence all around her.

This station was designed to amplify Battle Meditation; she could sense it, could feel the focal point here in the throne room, centered on the throne platform itself. Leia didn't want to be here, but if she was going to coordinate this battle, use her powers to reinforce the hearts and minds of the troops in this, their most desperate hour, here was where she had to be.

The comm panel mounted on one arm of the chair buzzed, and Thrawn's voice said, "_Are you ready, Master Organa Solo?_"

"No," Leia murmured quietly to herself.

She paused, took a slow, deep breath, and quickly sat down in the command chair. "Ready when you are, Admiral," she transmitted back.

"_Jumping to hyperspace in three… two… one…"_

The star field outside the viewport dissolved into swirling blue for several long seconds, and then they were there above the system's sun, close enough to see the huge bronze shape of the Star Forge atop its glowing ribbon of plasma, and the depressingly large fleet spread in ranks around it.

Far below her, the huge hangar doors mounted at various places around the Death Star slowly rolled open and the fleet berthed inside swarmed out. Leia actually felt the vibration in the deck beneath her feet as the _Phoenix_'s superlaser array howled to life and the eight great beams angled independently to destroy warships in the enemy formation.

Then the battle was joined and Leia was no longer in the throne room but in a thousand other places at once.

* * *

><p>"So how do you want to do this?" Luke asked his father from the <em>Falcon<em>'s copilot seat. "There's not much room to maneuver between the shield and the hull of the station, and we still have to pick our entrance point."

"My grandsons are near the factory complex," Vader rumbled back without looking up from the controls. "We will go in through one of the launch bays and then coordinate a landing spot with them. From there, once Jacen and Ami's teams have secured charges in the other two plasma intake complexes, we will evacuate and detonate the charges to bring down the shield."

"We'll have to coordinate the detonation with Thrawn," Luke said. "To make sure the _Phoenix_ is ready to fire the moment the shield comes down."

"Stay in contact with your sister," said Vader. "She will let him know."

"So how are we going to get the launch bay open?" Luke asked as Vader gunned the engines and raced down over the curving hull of the central section.

Instead of replying, Vader simply acted. Wordlessly, he gestured for Luke to take the controls for a moment, and then Luke sensed his father drawing upon the Force.

Far below them, just barely visible along the curvature of the station, one of the huge doors leading to the factory complex slowly opened, and several squadrons of enemy fighters streamed out. Vader stretched out into the Force and, with great concentration, bent and buckled the enormous kilometers-broad metal doors to more or less permanently wedge them open. Sparks and debris flashed out into space as the great hydraulic motors strained to close the doors again, but ultimately failed, giving out with yet another explosion.

"Ready turrets," Vader calmly said into the intercom.

The fighters came after them like hornets out of a kicked hive, lasers flashing out at them in dazzling patterns. As Vader twisted the _Falcon_ through a stomach-churning spiral, spraying concussion missiles from the launchers in the forward mandibles, Luke sank into concentration, deflecting the fire the Embers among the squadrons hurled their way, and from the seat behind him, Revan added his own considerable power to the effort. The cockpit viewport was completely obscured by unnatural flame, but the battered old freighter's new pilot didn't need to see to fly her.

Behind them, the turrets spat blaster fire at the Burned fighters, which were swarming so closely about them that practically every shot hit something, whether intentionally or not. Many fighters tried to ram them instead, but Vader dodged each and every one. The hull groaned and creaked ominously under the strains of all the sudden maneuvering, but the structural integrity field held.

The space between them and the open launch doors was so clogged with enemy vessels that a journey which should have taken only seconds stretched on into long minutes.

* * *

><p>At the edge of the Belkadan system, space was also getting very crowded with enemy ships.<p>

"_Errant Venture_ in position," Malysa said distantly, her eyes gazing at _Home One_'s tactical display without really seeing. "Kam is at the helm, and Tionne and Tahiri are down in the launch bay, ready to deploy the mines on your signal, Admiral."

"Are you certain they will be able to maneuver safely, Master Kolos?" Ackbar asked concernedly. "Cloaking fields are opaque from both directions; the _Venture_ is as blind as she is invisible."

"Admiral, there are almost a thousand Jedi scattered throughout our fleet," Malysa replied distractedly. "I may not quite have Leia's talent for Battle Meditation, but with this many Jedi around, I can receive and relay telemetry well enough; it's almost like we're all there on the _Venture_ with them."

Ackbar nodded once. "Very well, Master Kolos." He looked up at the comm speakers. "General Antilles, is your battle group in position?"

"_Ready, Admiral._"

"General Bel Iblis?"

"_Ready, Admiral._"

"Ackbar to all ships," the Mon Cal said, placing his flipper-hands on the railing around the holoprojector. "Execute!"

Though she could see the icons moving on the tactical display, Malysa drew more information from the battle meld she shared with the other Jedi spread across the battlefront. The enemy fleet surged for their position, forced into a loose funnel shape by the debris field. Some Burned ships flew through the mine-laced floating junkyard on both sides anyway, and though some made it through, the majority of the enemy vessels who tried this paid for it in blooms of fire.

As the leading edge of the enemy formation drew close to the gap, the _Errant Venture_ soared invisibly in front of it, dropping thousands of electromagnetic mines which were also nearly unnoticeable by sensors - if the Burned were even using them.

Its load dropped, the _Venture_ scrambled to get out of the way, heedless now of engine emissions detectable through the cloak, and as soon as it was clear, Malysa relayed to her fellow Jedi Masters that it was now safe to activate the mines.

Seconds before the arrival of the charging Burned formation, the mines went online and immediately began drifting towards the largest concentrations of metal nearby.

A broad-band hail went out, and a raspy, genderless voice announced, "_We are the Burned. We have come to purge the unworthy. Those who are not part of the Fire will be-"_

And then that ship blew up as dozens of mines slammed into its hull and detonated, rupturing several vital systems and finally the reactor, which consumed the leading enemy ship in a star-bright fireball. Another ship went up next to it, and another, and another, until the entire leading edge of the enemy formation was on fire.

The enemy warships drifted, crashing into one another and the ships behind, but still the Burned pressed on, plowing through the chaotic jumble with single-minded determination.

A part of Malysa felt sick at seeing so much death, but she knew there was no coming back from the Fire; those who had been completely converted were in effect already dead, transformed by the process into something else, no longer the sentient beings they had once been.

Despite reminding herself of this, Malysa was still unable to completely suppress her horror as the Burned charged recklessly ahead, some of the warships deliberately flying through the minefield to make way for their fellows behind, showing complete disregard for their own lives.

"Ready turbolasers," Ackbar said next to her, and though he also tried to hide it, she could sense how much this unsettled him, as well. "All guns, fire when ready."

* * *

><p>Back at the Star Forge, in an empty locker room near the factory, Jenn paused as she buckled on the pair of boots Anakin had scavenged, looking up at the corner around which the Solo boy currently stood. "Run that by me again."<p>

"Grandfather says they're on their way in through the factory," Anakin repeated, "and he wants us to find a good place to pull an Ami so he can pick us up with the _Falcon._"

"Those were Vader's exact words, were they?" Jenn said dryly.

"Well, not _exactly_," Anakin admitted.

Jenn stood from the bench and tugged at her too-big gray jacket's left sleeve, starting to roll it up. "Is there some kind of unwritten rule that uniforms of any sort have to be as itchy as possible?" she muttered to herself, scratching at the leg of her equally baggy trousers with her other hand. "This is worse than that lousy Peragus miner's outfit."

Corran looked over at her as she walked around the corner. "I'm not sure if we can make it back to the airlock where we came in," he said, fastening the cuffs of his own appropriated gray fatigues. "A lot of hostiles are moving through this section."

"There are plenty of corridors with nice big viewports near here," Jenn replied, hitching up her trousers again. She looked down to adjust her belt another notch tighter. "The _Falcon_ can just blast her way in."

"When in doubt, blow something up," Ben quipped as they headed for the door.

Jenn half-smiled lightly. "That's always been one of my preferred strategies."

Ben grinned. "I knew there was a reason you and my mom get along so well."

Jenn was about to reply when suddenly the door to the locker room slammed closed between them, apparently of its own accord, and the lights went out at the same instant. She paused, frowned at the door, then pushed the control. Nothing happened.

"What's going on in there?" Corran asked, his voice muffled by the door.

"I don't know," Jenn replied, pushing the control again.

Still nothing.

She let out an impatient sigh as she drew her lightsaber. A second's concentration, focusing on the power currents behind the wall, revealed the location of the door's motor. Jenn ignited her blade, then drove the tip quickly and precisely into the wall. As she let her blade go out, she gestured with her other hand and pulled the door open with the Force.

"What was that about?" Corran asked, poking his head and shoulders through the doorway.

"No idea," Jenn replied. "I don't sense any unusual attention on us; must've been a random malfunction."

Corran scoffed as they set off down the hall. "Technology."

* * *

><p>Even before she and Jacen finished cutting through the thickly armored hull of the station with their lightsabers, Jaina felt the buzzing, almost crackling sensation in the Force; the Burned were nearby, and they knew her team was there.<p>

"What _is_ this stuff?" Jacen muttered to himself, not for the first time, as he slowly dragged his lightsaber's emerald blade through the dense metal plating between the airlock of their dropship and the interior of the station.

"This is taking way too long," Jaina said, hearing the flat tones of her own voice filtered through her helmet. "We might have to try something else."

"The only other way into the intake complex is through the plasma stream itself," Jacen countered, not looking up from his task. "Not even a ship made of solid Mandalorian iron could survive that."

"_Is it possible to selectively detonate some of the charges the YVHK droids placed on the plasma regulators on their way down?"_ Qeris asked over the comm.

"_If some of the regulators but not all of them go out," _Blue Max mused in reply, "_the station's safety protocols would trigger an automatic shutdown of the plasma intake. The only way to turn it back on would be from the consoles inside the intake complex itself."_

Jaina could hear the Imperial Knight's pleased smile in her reply. "_Precisely. We can then simply fly our ships up into the intake complexes, disable the control consoles, and leave without having to cut our way into the station and breach these doors._"

Jacen frowned. "Suppose Pyrron turns off the safety protocols from his master console in the control tower; if even a little plasma is still coming into the pylon, this won't work at all."

"_And if he just turns off the sheathing field altogether, the entire intake complex would be too hot to go into,_" Max agreed. "_Kriff. I forgot we're dealing with a psychopath. It'd play merry hell on the station's systems if he disables the safety protocols, but I don't think he's planning long-term right now."_

"_I've got it!_" Ami said excitedly. "_We still cut through the outer hull, but leave the barricade doors sealed and take our ships off the holes; that'll put at least a compartment or two's worth of vacuum between the Burned and the intake complexes, and even they're not stupid enough to charge through that. Then we blow the charges, wait for the plasma to trickle off, and fly in through the intake like Qeris said._"

"Again, this hinges on the safety protocols kicking in like they're supposed to," Jacen persisted. He smiled even though Ami couldn't see him. "But otherwise, that's a great plan."

"_Query: What about the droid teams?_" HK-47 asked. "_You don't plan to just leave us here, do you?_"

"You don't need oxygen," said Jaina. "If we depressurize the compartments around the intake complexes, you can stay there and guard the other side of the barricade doors while we disable the intakes to keep anyone from turning them back on. Once that's done, we can come back for you and blow the rest of the charges on our way out."

"_Sounds like a plan, unless someone comes up with a better idea,_" said LaRone from the main compartment of their ship. "_Turc, Bentis, what's it look like at your position?_"

"_Ami and Qeris are nearly done cutting their way into the station, sir,_" Turc replied. "_Doesn't look like any enemy ships are on their way to us; they all seem distracted with the _Phoenix_ and the fleet. I have Renniq and Felth on the turrets anyway._"

"_Thrawn's really stomping them up there,_" Bentis put in. "_It's like it doesn't even matter that he's outnumbered five to one. I wish we'd had this _Phoenix _thing a few years ago._"

"_Yeah, and if Hutts had wings, they'd still be too lazy to get off the ground,_" said Vazkes. "_Cut the chatter and get back to work, Bentis._"

"_Yes sir, ma'am,_" the other commando replied with a practically audible smirk.

* * *

><p>On <em>Executor<em>'s bridge, Admiral Piett sat in his command chair, engaged in a running dialogue with several of the other warship commanders.

"_I'm receiving reports of critical reactor damage on the _Retribution," said Admiral Downes, fleet commander for Phoenix group. "_The captain has ordered evacuation._"

Piett looked over his command board. "There's a heavy concentration of enemy vessels in that area. Divert the _Stalwart_ to pick up the pods before the Burned can get to-"

Suddenly he was interrupted by a blast of horrible noise, an awful chorus of frenzied screaming mixed together with incoherent gibbering, as if a stadium full of people had all gone insane at once and were screaming their minds away.

"What is that?" he demanded of the comm officers, both of whom were working madly at their consoles.

"It's a broad-band transmission from the Star Forge itself, sir," the senior comm officer said. "The signal is so strong, it's breaking into our transmissions."

"Can you filter it out?" Piett called down to them over the noise, resisting the urge to shudder. The mindless howling seemed to be coming at him from all sides.

"It's on every frequency, sir," said the junior comm officer. "We're trying to filter it out, but the signal's just too strong."

"What about line-of-sight communications?" Piett asked.

The senior comm officer shook his head. "There are too many enemy ships around us, sir; we can't get a steady signal."

Piett frowned. "Internal communications?"

"Unaffected for now," the junior comm officer replied.

So at least he could still give orders to _Executor_'s crew, Piett mused. That was better than nothing, he supposed.

"Can you mute this at least?" the junior sensor officer called from the other crew pit, wincing at the horrible noise as she looked across the walkway at them.

"The comm is our only link with the rest of the fleet," said the senior comm officer. "If we mute this transmission, we won't be able to hear any of the Grand Admiral's orders."

"We can't hear him over this anyway!" she countered. "The comm might as well be off already."

"Well, what are we supposed to use, flash code?" the navigator said crossly.

Piett made the decision. "Mute this noise," he ordered. "If the _Phoenix_ finds a way to jam this transmission, they'll let us know."

The comm officers obeyed, and the horrific bawling was suddenly, blessedly silenced. However, the silence was somehow even more terrible; the chatter of the general frequency was part of the normal background noise, and now with communications severed from the rest of the fleet, the bridge was almost eerily quiet, juxtaposed with the fiery violence outside.

Trying not to let his anxiety over this show in front of his crew, Piett stood and straightened his uniform jacket with a tug. He then walked forward along the command walkway, ostensibly to give himself a better view through the bridge viewports, but more to provide a visible example of calm to his clearly nervous crew.

"Fighter Control, do we have any contact with our squadrons?" he inquired as evenly as he was able.

"None, sir," came the reply. "I can track them, but I can't get through on the comm. They're on their own for now."

"I see," Piett said neutrally. "Work with Fire Control to provide as much cover for our pilots as you can. Concentrate on defending the vital sections; the rest of the fleet cannot warn us at the moment, so keep a sharp eye for any ships that look like they're about to ram us."

Both sections acknowledged in a crisp, professional chorus.

"Sensors," Piett went on, looking down at that section, "can you locate the source of the enemy signal?"

The sensor officer worked at her console for a moment, then answered. "It's coming from antennas at the apex of all three pylons, sir."

Piett looked out through the broad viewports at the gigantic shape of the Star Forge. "Can we hit them with the main weapon at this distance?"

"Negative, sir," the fire-control officer replied. "The shield is still up, and even if it wasn't, there are too many enemy ships between us which could intercept the beam."

"And since we can only fire a full-power shot every five minutes or so, they'd have too many ships on us before we could try again," Piett mused aloud. "Very well. Continue to concentrate on defense for the moment."

What he thought, but did not say, was that things looked worse than ever right now.

He didn't have to; everyone on the bridge was thinking the same thing.

* * *

><p>"If Max was here, he could take control of a few of the point-defense turrets and give them some cover," Anakin said as he watched the <em>Millennium Falcon<em> dodge its way through the factory, spinning and swerving through the swarming cloud of pursuing enemy fighters.

Standing next to him in the middle of a long curving corridor, one entire wall of which was an enormous viewport overlooking the central factory section, Ben frowned. "And if Hoth wasn't so miserably cold, it'd be a great place to build a resort."

Anakin frowned back. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Ben replied with sarcastic patience, "why are you complaining about things we can't change? All the computers on this level are locked down anyway, because I'm pretty sure Pyrron knows where we are."

"I know that!" Anakin said crossly. "Why are you snapping at me?"

Ben sighed, reaching up to massage his temple with his left hand. "Sorry," he said. "I just have a really bad headache right now."

"Me, too," Anakin commiserated. "I have this weird dull ache in my joints, too. I'm not sure what's causing it."

_Get ready,_ Revan's mental voice 'said' to them, nearly unintelligible through the increasingly 'loud' buzzing sensation in the Force. _Back away from the viewports_.

Having also 'heard' him, Jenn and Corran waved the boys back, lightsabers in hand. As the four of them moved away from the viewport, Ben and Anakin dug into their belts and took out the goggles in the compartments there.

"Oh, blast!" Jenn said, snapping her fingers. "Corran and I don't have goggles and breath masks; they got melted on the way up."

"Sorry about that," Corran said ruefully. "I was so focused on shielding us, I guess I didn't quite include our clothes and equipment as part of _us_. That's difficult to do with things not attuned to the Force, you know."

"Don't worry about it," Jenn said, waving this away. "We'll just hold our breath on the way down."

"Here they come," said Ben.

At first, Anakin thought he was referring to the _Falcon_, which he could see soaring upward toward their position even now, but then he sensed it himself.

Ben's sky-blue blade flared into being beside him, quickly joined by the viridian and cyan blades of the two Jedi Masters before Anakin ignited his own indigo weapon.

The doors at all points in the corridor opened, and Burned Ones flooded in, a hundred pairs of eyes glowing brilliant orange in the dim yellow light of the corridor, a hundred pairs of boots pounding along the metal deck plates straight at them.

But instead of attacking, the robed cultists and the clones in gray fatigues stopped, forming a perfect circle three meters around where the four of them stood back-to-back. The Burned simply stared at them, unblinking, unnervingly silent, perfectly still. More and more of them continued to stream out of the doors, but they only took up position in ranks behind the others, until almost the entire corridor was filled with a crowd several hundred strong.

Anakin nervously shifted his grip on his lightsaber, eyeing the distance between the horde and the huge viewport; some of them would certainly be sucked out when the _Falcon_ blasted the viewport open, but there were still enough to overwhelm the four of them with sheer numbers and keep them from going anywhere. Outside, there were so many fighters chasing the _Falcon_ that they wouldn't be able to hold position for long.

"If anyone has any ideas, now's the time to share them with the group," Corran said, looking around at the motionless crowd.

"There is only one choice left to you now," said a raspy but deep voice they knew all too well.

One portion of the circle parted to reveal a gray-robed figure, none other than the Burned Lord himself, in person this time. The dim yellow light filtering through the crowd cast strange shadows on Pyrron's bald, completely tattooed head, further emphasizing the orange glow emanating from his eyes. Even still, Anakin could plainly see the Burned Lord's unnervingly intent expression as he looked at the four of them.

"Again and again you have rejected me," Pyrron rasped. "But now you have nowhere to go." He held a hand out to them in invitation. "You already hold a spark of our Fire within you. Submit to the Burning, allow your former selves to be purged so that you become part of the Fire."

Jenn's reply was short, brusque, and determined: "No."

"You cannot escape this time," Pyrron warned. "The Fire surrounds you now, and if you do not join with it, it will destroy you."

Jenn's gaze did not falter. "If you were talking to anyone else but the four of us, you might be right," she said mildly. "But we've already survived your Fire. We've taken the worst you can throw at us… and we're still ourselves. You can't do anything to us."

"Is that so?" Pyrron said, spreading his hands.

He raised his arms and crossed his wrists at about the level of his collar with the back of his hands held toward them, fingers outstretched just in front of his shoulders. Flames flickered out from between his fingers, slowly spiraling around each digit to gather at the tips, as if he had long fingernails made of fire.

A moment later, the hundreds upon hundreds of his followers around them raised their hands in unison and did the same thing, adding thousands more points of light.

Slowly, so slowly it was almost imperceptible at first, the flames began to brighten.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. It seems the closer I get to the end of this story, the more Darth Real Life is determined to make sure I have no time to work on it. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	38. Inside the Fire

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Eight<strong>  
>(Inside the Fire)<p>

A thousand points of fire glowed in the near-darkness of the Star Forge corridor overlooking the factory section, huge curving walls to one side, a floor-to-ceiling viewport at the other. The long corridor was completely filled from one end to the other with Burned Ones, each of the cultists' hands flickering with fiery light.

"Remember what happened at Alderaan," Anakin murmured to his cousin, who stood at his back with blade upraised in guard position. "They can't hurt us."

"That was just one of them," Ben murmured back.

"It's no different this time," Jenn assured them.

"If you are not part of the Fire," all of the cultists said in eerie unison, hundreds of voices joined as one, "you will be consumed by it."

And with that, they attacked. Flames roared out of the crowd at the four Jedi from every direction, surging through the ranks like a wildfire through a dead forest, but the flames did not consume the cultists, instead flowing around them like water around rocks in a streambed.

But the four Jedi were ready; they joined together in their own version of the link, wrapping it about themselves like a cloak. The inferno swirled around them like a fiery hurricane, with the four of them at the eye.

At Pyrron's direction, more and more heat flowed at them, until the plastic in the corridor melted with an acrid stench, the metal glowed red-hot, and the viewports began to bubble and crack. The heat was unbearable, like standing next to an oven going full-blast.

But still they held firm.

Finally the flames died away, leaving everything in the corridor charred black or still glowing with absorbed heat, all except a perfect circle around where the Jedi stood.

Pyrron took a few steps forward, and Ben could see two clean spaces where he had been standing, like negative footprints. Even his robe had been untouched by the inferno.

"So it is true," Pyrron mused aloud. "The four of you cannot be consumed by the Fire, yet neither are you fully part of it."

"I told you," Jenn said confidently. "Your powers can't hurt us."

"Indeed they cannot," Pyrron replied mildly. Slowly, a wicked grin came over his face. "But there are still myriads of us… and only four of you."

He raised a hand, held up two fingers together, and paused for just a fraction of a second before sweeping his arm forward. The horde charged as one, arms outstretched, a clutching, grasping crowd hundreds strong, all screaming a manic battle cry.

Ben swept out his hand and knocked back the first wave with a powerful telekinetic shove, but there were just so many of them that the horde regained the lost ground almost immediately. Along with the other three, Ben met the charge with blade spinning. Every stroke, every slash, every chop claimed another howling maniac, but there were always more waiting to take every opponent's place.

In the midst of the fighting, beyond his battle calm, Ben felt a deep, rumbling vibration in the deck beneath his boots, more than could be accounted for by the hundreds of other boots pounding along the corridor.

Suddenly the four Jedi ducked and dropped to the deck as one, only a moment before the viewport exploded inwards in a shower of shards and fire. A rushing, shrieking wind snatched some of the lighter pieces right back out of the hole, sucking more than a few gray-robed figures along with them, but the rest of the horde was too closely packed together, and were able to hold their ground.

Ben drew in a last breath before all of the air was sucked out of the corridor, his ears popping painfully with the change of pressure, but he shielded himself as best he could with the Force, using the technique Jenn had taught him to hold his breath.

Laser-cannon fire flashed into the corridor, blasting away huge swaths of the crowd. The sound of the weapons fire was accompanied by the howling rumble of the _Millennium Falcon_'s engines, oddly muted in air too thin to carry the full volume of the sound.

Much of the horde was knocked back by the concussion, but still dozens surrounded them. Ben glanced over at his cousin, and Anakin nodded once in silent agreement.

Together, before there was a chance for argument or discussion, they turned and pushed both Corran and Jenn outside, shoving them through the empty space beyond the gaping shattered viewport toward where the _Falcon_ hovered nearby.

* * *

><p>Jenn was about to throw the boys outside to where she sensed Revan waiting to catch them, but apparently they had the idea first, and she found herself tumbling through the air for several long moments before she landed heavily on the <em>Falcon<em>'s upper hull near the dorsal gun turret.

Nearby, Corran caught hold of a protrusion on the hull and stopped his slide, but Jenn tumbled with momentum, rolling out of control back toward the searingly hot engines. However, after only two heart-stopping seconds which felt much, much longer, a telekinetic grip took hold of her and she stopped.

She looked up to see Revan standing at the _Falcon_'s top hatch, his long black hair and robe flying around him in the wind, one hand stretched out toward her. A safety line was clipped to his belt, and behind him, she saw the furry head and shoulders of Chewbacca, who steadied the cable with one huge hand as Revan made his way toward them.

Jenn clipped her lightsaber to her belt and began to crawl forward, but just then a laser blast shook the ship and the _Falcon_ bucked like a stung dewback beneath her, tossing her several meters into the air.

In midair, Jenn managed to muster enough concentration to Force-push Corran towards Revan, who had somehow managed to stay on his feet. She landed heavily and rolled again, but managed to grab hold of a vent housing, crying out as the sudden halt in her momentum wrenched something in her shoulder.

The dorsal turret spat fire at the cloud of fighters swarming around them, the sound weirdly muted in the thin air, but Jenn could tell this wouldn't hold off the enemy for long. Squinting against the rushing wind, she looked back toward the corridor and saw the boys' sky-blue and indigo lightsabers whirling furiously, the blades' light stuttering from her point of view as dozens of cultists crowded around them.

_We're going to have to come back for them on another pass,_ Revan shouted to her; she couldn't hear him over the roar of the turrets and the howling engines, but she could still read his lips.

Behind him, she could see Chewbacca pulling Corran inside the top hatch, and the two of them disappeared as the lift lowered.

Another jolt of enemy blaster fire shook the ship and launched Jenn into the air again, but this time she managed to direct her flight somewhat so that she tumbled toward her friend.

Revan leaned out and caught hold of her arm, then pulled her in. "Got you!"

Finally she realized why Revan had managed to keep his feet: he was wearing magnetic boots in addition to his safety cable, which was thrumming like a huge guitar string with the vibrations from the ship's maneuvering.

As the _Falcon_ was forced to twist up and to the side to avoid being rammed by one of the fighters, Revan crouched down and pulled her with him, wrapping his arms around her back to keep her in place, and Jenn held on to her friend in a desperate hug in return, feeling the g-forces tugging her away.

When the ship finally leveled off and she no longer felt like she was about to black out, Jenn looked up over Revan's shoulder back to the corridor, which was now far above them. "They're moving," she said, voicing what she sensed.

* * *

><p>As the <em>Falcon<em> was forced away, Anakin and Ben fought valiantly, striving to hold their position as they waited for it to come back on another pass, but there were just too many Burned. Back-to-back, they swept their blades out in wide slashing arcs, the bodies of their enemy piling up around them, but still the gray-robed figures pressed forward.

Finally, some of them managed to pull Ben off his feet, a multitude of hands holding him secure as still more snatched away his weapon. Anakin saw him struggling as he went down in a pile of cultists, trying to push them away with the Force, but there were so many packed bodies that there was just nowhere for them to be pushed _to_.

Anakin tried to come to his cousin's rescue, but only moments later the ever-grasping hands pulled him down, too. He kicked and punched, kneed and scratched, even bit fingers pushing at his face, but the weight was just too much, and he was soon buried in a squirming, thrashing nek-pile.

Suddenly the weight lessened and he was pulled upright, but forced into a kneeling position, dozens of hands and arms curled around him to keep him from moving.

Pyrron stood before the two boys, face twisted in fury, eyes gleaming with madness. "I know what you are trying to do. I have a hundred thousand eyes, and I see all that happens on this station."

Then his balled fist leaped out to punch Ben into unconsciousness, but Anakin had no time to react, for only a moment later, the fist came for him, too.

* * *

><p>"They've got the boys!" Luke heard Jenn shout, and he reflexively turned away from the copilot's console to look through the open cockpit door.<p>

"I sense them," Vader rumbled from the pilot's seat next to him. "They're still alive, and moving quickly; they're in a turbolift."

"Where's he taking them, up to the master control room?" Revan asked as he and Jenn entered the cockpit.

"No, they're going down," Luke said, eyes half-closed in concentration as he tracked his son and nephew. "They're headed down one of the pylons, the one Jenn and Corran just left."

"He's taken them hostage so we won't blow the charges we planted there," said Jenn, sounding both angry and frustrated. "He's probably headed all the way down to the intake complex."

"Then that is where we shall meet him," said Vader, hauling the _Falcon_ around so hard he tipped the old freighter on its side.

"You know, from this angle, it looks like you're heading for the intake shaft," Jenn said slowly. "Even though you couldn't possibly be intending to fly the ship down the shaft while the _plasma is still coming in!_"

"You and Master Horn survived the same route," Vader replied brusquely, launching another spread of concussion missiles at a flight of fighters between them and the shaft.

"Barely!" Jenn exclaimed. "And that was just the two of us!"

"Some of the most powerful Force-users in the galaxy are aboard this vessel," Vader said evenly. "Working together, I am confident we can provide adequate shielding."

"For a _whole ship_?!" Jenn rejoined incredulously.

"I am not putting this to a vote," Vader snapped. "Make your preparations. We go inside the shaft in two minutes."

"You can do this, Jenn," Revan said reassuringly. "_We_ can do this."

Jenn's only reply was a heavy, long-suffering sigh.

* * *

><p>In the Belkadan system, in the tactical room of <em>Home One<em> just below the bridge, Malysa Kolos winced in sympathy as the Republic Star Cruiser _Bulwark_ succumbed to enemy fire and exploded. "We can't keep this up for long!" she shouted across the holoprojector well to Ackbar.

"We must hold the line!" the Mon Calamarian admiral shouted back, bracing himself against the railing as weapons fire shook the warship. "The Imperial fleet will be here soon!"

"Admiral, more hyperspace activity!" the sensor officer called down to them. "Incoming contacts at the edge of the system!"

"The Empire?" Malysa asked.

"Negative; more Burned."

Ackbar's flipper-like hands tightened around the railing, but otherwise he did not lose his calm. "Master Kolos, can you and the other Jedi use Battle Meditation to coordinate a mass salvo?" he asked her. "Perhaps we can even out our numbers somewhat."

"The Burned are trying to use their powers on our crews," Malysa said with a reluctant shake of her head. "It's taking pretty much everything we've got to hold them off."

"I see," said Ackbar. "Very well." Consulting the tactical projection, he issued a further stream of orders, but Malysa sank back into concentration, trying to do what she could to protect their forces.

But still more of the enemy arrived every moment, and she knew they could not keep this up forever.

* * *

><p>Back at the Star Forge, Leia gazed unseeing at the great station through the broad viewport of the <em>Phoenix<em>'s throne room, her mind stretched out over the battle as she did her best to keep their forces coordinated despite their lack of communications.

Along with the screaming and howling the Star Forge was transmitting on all frequencies, it sent out similar waves of emotion through the Force, making it difficult to concentrate. Leia had to strike a balance, keep a light touch on the minds of their soldiers while still keeping them working in concert.

The _Phoenix_ itself, structured as it was for amplifying Battle Meditation, made the task somewhat easier, but at the same time more difficult; the station was attuned to the Dark Side, and though Leia knew she was almost certainly imagining it, all around her there were whispers on the edge of hearing in her double's voice.

"Take them," Lady Vader's voice seemed to purr in Leia's ear. "Take their minds. They are nothing, mere tools, livestock, their only use whatever you see fit to give them. _You_ are the true power here. They are only puppets, and from this throne you hold their strings."

Leia ignored the whispers and maintained her concentration.

"You've always been a leader," the Empress' voice said, seeming unnervingly like an actual audible sound. "Others have always obeyed when you spoke. In a way, you've always known you were better."

Her fingers tightened around the armrests of the command chair, but otherwise Leia tried not to react. However, she opened her eyes when she felt something touch her shoulder, light as a breeze, insubstantial as a bubble.

She looked up to see a twisted mirror image of herself standing next to her chair, one hand still resting lightly on her shoulder. The distorted reflection wore the dark red, high-collared, long-sleeved gown of vaguely militaristic cut Leia had seen in one of her counterpart's portraits, as if she were a hologram of the portrait itself.

Her own eyes, gleaming red-rimmed yellow instead of their normal brown, gazed back at her, the face she saw in the mirror sneering wickedly in an expression Leia had never worn herself.

"You know what I did with this station," Lady Vader said, gesturing out at the throne room with her other hand. "From this room, I held the galaxy by the throat. With the power of this weapon, I took what I wanted and destroyed all those who resisted. If… _our_ son hadn't betrayed me, if he had taken his rightful place as a Dark Lord of the Sith, your galaxy would even now be helpless before our conquering fleet."

"You're not real," Leia said as calmly as she was able. "You're nothing but an… apparition, an artifact of all the Dark Side energy here, like in the cave on Dagobah."

Lady Vader continued as if she hadn't heard. "This station is the ultimate power in the universe - in _any_ universe. Whoever controls the Death Star holds within their hands the lives of all other beings in the galaxy. Here, you are invulnerable, invincible, and anyone who stands in your way can be dealt with by a mere press of a button."

Leia did not answer, looking instead through the enormous viewport.

"Realize what this means," Lady Vader said, leaning closer. "No more debating with shortsighted, selfish politicians, no more struggling to get things done, no more fighting to persuade stupid beings drunk on their own power to do what they should already know to do themselves. One blast from the main weapon at even the barest fraction of its power, and the Senate building is just… gone. No more squabbling, no more headaches… only _you_."

"You're wasting your time," Leia said evenly.

"No, you are wasting yours," Lady Vader countered heatedly. "How much more quickly could you get things done when your will is the galaxy's command? Think what civilization could become. Think who _you_ could become."

"You, I suppose?" Leia said, allowing a hint of derision into her voice.

The Empress spread her hands and smiled. "Of course." One hand slowly curled into a fist as she spoke. "I am who you are meant to be, who you _want_ to be." She leaned forward slightly, her voice going low, persuasive, almost sultry. "Who you _can_ be if you just take what is already within your reach. It would be easy, so easy… Everything you have ever desired would be yours."

Leia met her counterpart's yellow gaze coolly. "I already have everything I want," she said calmly. "It's what I'm fighting for."

She flicked her fingers at the specter in a dismissive wave, and it vanished as if it had never been.

Leia sat back in her chair with a sigh, unsure if the apparition had been some Dark Side echo of her counterpart… or just her own imagination.

Regardless, her determination had been bolstered, and she returned to the fight with renewed purpose.

* * *

><p>Jag Fel spun his Interceptor away from a charging flight of needlelike enemy fighters, keeping one eye on his friend-or-foe tracker to make sure he was shooting at the right targets. Being completely cut off from the rest of his squadron by that awful howling on every frequency rattled his nerves, but still he pressed on, relying on his deeply ingrained military discipline.<p>

For now, Blue Squadron was staying in three-fighter flights, just trying to stay alive until communications were restored. This was proving exceedingly difficult; already Blue Three was gone and it was just him and Zekk out here, trying to cover each other's backs. Fel had no idea of the condition of the rest of his squadron.

Green cannon-fire from somewhere off to his right alerted Fel to an enemy fighter just a half-klick or so to his left, and he angled his fighter over to lock onto it. Moments later, it was gone, nothing but a cloud of debris and fire.

As Zekk's Interceptor passed overhead, he flashed his running lights three times, their pre-arranged code for 'follow me', and swooped down and toward the Star Forge, firing his wingtip blasters at it for no apparent reason.

Fel was puzzled for a moment, but then he realized where Zekk was trying to draw his attention: two great clouds of enemy fighters heading down the massive pylons, clearly headed for the base and the strike teams gathered there cutting their way into the station.

"Damn it!" Fel said aloud in frustration. "How are we supposed to warn them?"

If only he had the Force, Fel mused, he could reach out and warn Jaina and Qeris, but he didn't-

In the middle of this thought, another occurred to him. No, he couldn't use the Force, but Zekk could; obviously what the Imperial Knight wanted was for Fel to watch his back as he attempted to reach out and warn the strike team commanders.

Fel pulled ahead so Zekk could see him and flashed his own running lights in acknowledgment, then gunned his engine and raced for the base of the Star Forge along with him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Change of plans!"<em>

Qeris paused, bringing one hand up to the side of her helmet to reply. "What now?"

"_The charges the droids and Master Talmak's team placed in the pylons aren't going off,_" Bentis replied. "_We were gonna blow out a few regulators to see if it turned off the plasma stream while you two were cutting through the outer hull, but nothing's happening. Colonel LaRone says the same thing is happening over in Pylon Three._"

"We can still get into the intake complex and turn off the stream manually from the console there," Qeris reminded him. "Can Blue Max open the lockdown doors?"

"_Affirmative; already done. Max and HK-47 are in the other intake complex right now with Commander Solo and his sister, and now he's working on ours. YVHK-5 reports that they've got the emergency bulkheads between our complex and the rest of the pylon sealed off, but the Burned are either cutting or melting their way through. We probably have only a few minutes to disable our stream and get out."_

"If even one plasma stream is still on, the shield will stay up," said Ami, not looking up from where she was cutting through the hull with her lightsaber. "Done!" she announced suddenly.

Qeris dragged her silver blade through the last few centimeters on her side, then pulled it free. She toggled her comlink again. "YVHK-5, have you cut all the way through on your side?"

"_Affirmative,_" the droid replied. "_Statement: You may enter when ready._"

"All right, get clear," said Qeris.

Together, she and Ami took a step back and held their hands out toward the two-meter-square section of hull. Under their telekinetic prodding, the thick hull section slid backwards, its beveled edges still glowing red-hot in places, until finally it toppled back into the station with a loud heavy clang as it landed on the deck inside.

YVHK-5 and four of his identical comrades were waiting for them in the corridor beyond. "Report: According to YVHK-12, the enemy has nearly melted their way through the bulkhead at the top of this compartment," he said without preamble as they stepped inside.

Just then, the huge, heavy door to the intake complex slowly rumbled open with a loud whine of hydraulics, retracting with a rasping slide of metal on metal.

Qeris turned back to the boarding hatch. "Ami and I will handle this," she said to Bentis, who stood in the hatchway. "Cover our escape route."

"Got your backs," Bentis replied with a brisk nod of his black helmet, then cocked his weapon.

Qeris and Ami hurried into the intake complex, ducking under the still-opening door, and ran along the circular catwalks running around the outer edge of the enormous circular room. At the center of the room, the thick plasma stream inside its force-field was still painfully bright despite the field's polarization, so Qeris avoided looking directly at it.

Several seconds of jogging and two quick Force-enhanced leaps brought them to the complex's master console. Ami got there first, and pulled off her faceless black helmet in order to see the controls better. Her curly red-gold hair, tucked into the collar of her armor, seemed darker than normal in the harsh yellow light of the plasma stream.

"Emergency shutdown, emergency shutdown…" she muttered, eyes roving over the console. "None of these buttons are labeled in Basic!"

Qeris removed her own helmet with a quick hiss of releasing pressure and handed it to Ami, gesturing for her to step aside. "Fortunately," she said with a light hint of teasing, "I made sure to learn the relevant Rakatan symbols from Revan on the trip out here."

"Oh," Ami said, embarrassed. "Probably should have done that myself."

"Here," said Qeris, gesturing to a row of toggle switches at the right side of the console. She rapidly flipped the covers off, then pushed the toggles. A descending hum accompanied the flipping of each toggle switch as the intake systems powered down.

However, when she flipped the last toggle, nothing happened at first. Just as Qeris reached out to flip it back off and on again, the entire console turned off with an abrupt descending hum of deactivation.

"What are you doing?" Ami asked concernedly. "The plasma stream is still on."

"The console just turned itself off," Qeris said, frowning.

Ami peered at it for a moment, then drew back her leg and kicked the base of the console hard enough that the clang echoed through the kilometer-wide complex for a moment. The screens flared back to life with an ascending hum, the various readout lights glowing in stuttering patterns before steadying.

Qeris turned a wordless, wryly amused look on her companion, who shrugged and grinned. "Works on the _Falcon_."

"Old Imperial computers are the same way," Qeris replied with a smile as she flipped the toggle again. "It's probably why most standard-issue boots have reinforced toes."

In the center of the room, the plasma stream reversed direction and began to fall back down the shaft, flickering as it passed back out of the station.

"That's it?" Ami asked, picking up her helmet from where it sat at the top of the console.

"That's it," Qeris confirmed, reaching for her own helmet. "Let's go."

But just then, she sensed a warning tremor in the Force: her fellow Imperial Knight Zekk trying to tell her something…

* * *

><p>In the intake complex in Pylon Three, Jacen and Jaina had shut down their own plasma stream and were almost back at their dropship when they, too sensed the warning.<p>

Jacen raised a hand to his headset. "Colonel, incoming enemy fighters!" he said urgently, running faster.

"_I see them,_" LaRone replied. He paused for a moment, some kind of screaming audible in the background. "_I can't get through to Turc's group to warn them,"_ he said. "_There's some sort of overriding transmission on every frequency._"

As he ran, Jacen reached out to Qeris and Ami with the Force, trying to warn them himself, but he received no acknowledgment.

Ahead of them, the YVHK droids filed into the open hatch, HK-47 at the rear with Blue Max slung over one shoulder by the little module's carrying strap. Jacen pushed past them, hurrying into the main compartment.

"Can you see them?" he asked as he entered the cockpit, where LaRone and Hiqs sat at the controls.

"Negative," Hiqs replied. "Everybody aboard?"

"We're on!" Jaina confirmed as she entered the cockpit a step behind her brother. "Go, go!"

LaRone reached over to toggle the intercom. "Vazkes, Grave, get ready!"

"_Ready,_" the other two commandos replied from the turrets. As the ship lifted free in a cloud of flash-frozen atmosphere streaming from the compartment beneath them, both turrets roared to life, spitting green fire out at the incoming enemy squadrons.

Hiqs gunned the engine and hauled the dropship around in a smuggler's turn, headed for the now-inactive Pylon Two.

Through the cockpit viewport, Jacen could see the other dropship still perched on the side of the pylon, a swarm of enemy fighters headed right for it. He felt a heavy, sinking feeling in his gut as he realized they wouldn't be able to take off before the fighters reached them, and his ship was too far away to do anything about it.

Sick with horror, Jacen could only watch as a needlelike fighter accelerated straight toward Qeris and Ami's dropship.

* * *

><p>"Back!" Qeris barked suddenly, shoving Ami away from the door.<p>

She stumbled, nearly tripping over her own feet, but heard the explosion and saw the bloom of fire just before Qeris threw out a hand toward the door and tripped the emergency close with the Force. The concussive wave from the exploding dropship knocked them both back into the room and down the stairs, but the heavy door dropped down swiftly, drawn more by gravity than by hydraulics.

Ami rolled down the stairs, back across the catwalk, and right over the side beneath the railing, but Qeris was quick enough to grab hold of her hand. Her feet swung free over star-flecked black space far below, separated from them by only a force-field.

"Give me your other hand!" Qeris said urgently, reaching down with her armored gauntlet, fingers open wide.

Her left hand locked around Qeris' wrist, Ami struggled to pull herself up far enough to reach the Imperial Knight's other hand, and finally managed to grab hold. With a groan of exertion, Qeris pulled Ami back up onto the catwalk, where they both sat back against the railing, exhausted.

Ami looked over at Qeris, breathing heavily. "Now what?"

* * *

><p>Though Jacen said nothing as the dropship exploded, the back of LaRone's chair creaked audibly under his clenched fingers. Jaina could see her twin struggling to remain calm, and she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder, even as sorrow welled up in her, as well.<p>

"Wait," Jacen said thoughtfully. "Wait, she's not dead. Ami is there with her."

"I feel it, too," Jaina agreed, relieved.

"What about Turc and the others?" Hiqs asked, not looking up from his piloting. "Did any of them make it?"

Jacen shook his head grimly. "I'm sorry, no."

"Damn," LaRone muttered quietly, sinking back in his chair. After the briefest of pauses, he straightened up again, his tone crisply professional. "So what can we do to help the survivors?"

"Their plasma stream is off, but there are just too many fighters out here to try something as tricky as flying up into the intake," Hiqs said tightly, rolling them away from a burst of weapons fire. "If we had another ship, I could provide covering fire while _they_ tried it, maybe."

Jaina looked over to see a spark of realization in Jacen's eyes, and they spoke simultaneously:

"I have an idea!"

* * *

><p>"So, what are our options?" Qeris asked Ami. "We cannot contact the rest of our forces because the comm relay in the dropship is gone, and there is at least one compartment's worth of open vacuum between us and the rest of the station. Beyond that, unknown numbers of Burned are between us and the turbolift up to the factory section."<p>

"Jaina brought her fighter along in case she needed it," said Ami. "It's masked and stashed up out of the way near the bottom of the factory section, but there are two problems." She tapped the side of her faceless black helmet with her gloved fingertips. "My armor has a computer link to Jaina's fighter just like hers does, but all the way down here with no way to boost the signal, I might be out of range. Secondly, I'm nowhere near as good a pilot as she is _and_ I'd be flying by remote control. I'm not sure I could get the fighter all the way down here intact."

Qeris paused, concentrating, and a slow smile spread across her face as Jacen reached out to her through the Force and described their plan. "Fortunately," she said, "it seems you won't have to."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this will work?" LaRone asked Jaina as they jogged back to the airlock.<p>

"No, but that's never stopped me before," Jaina replied with a confident grin. "I'll only be in open space for a few seconds; the autopilot recall brings my fighter straight to me, and my suit thrusters should still work in vacuum."

Jaina put on her helmet and secured it, waiting as her HUD quickly flared to life and her suit pressurized. She stepped into the airlock compartment, checking her armor seals again.

"Good luck, Solo," LaRone said as the door closed between them.

Jaina grinned. "I make my own luck."

He nodded once, then hit the button and blew her into space.

Jaina closed her eyes after the first few seconds as she tumbled, the Star Forge, the sun, and the fleet outside all blending together in a chaotic spinning jumble. Finally, her suit's thrusters fired in a preprogrammed sequence, bringing her to a smooth stop.

Out here, away from the station, everything in sight seemed to be ablaze in the light from the sun below. Her armor had strong radiation shielding, but still Jaina could feel the heat. She felt very, very small drifting out here on her own without gravity, without a ship, watching as the swarms of fighters pursued the dropship, which fired back at them in a green fury.

Her motion sensors triggered and a light in her HUD flashed as her fighter drew close. Jaina curled up into as tight a ball as she was able in her armor, linking her suit computer with the fighter, and coordinated the two so that she was within arm's reach of the cockpit as her ship slowed down. She grabbed hold of the handlebar mounted just inside the forward section of the cockpit, and when her momentum matched that of her vessel, pulled herself inside with a spin that brought her neatly down into the pilot's chair as the canopy closed around her.

Jaina's gloved hands worked rapidly at the controls, bringing everything completely back online, and she took off in a wide looping arc, crossing into the dropship's firing range for cover. The turrets' fire flashed past her, destroying a pursuing flight of fighters, and she waggled her wings in thanks, since communications were still jammed.

"Now for the tricky part," she muttered to herself.

* * *

><p>"That's two of the intakes down," Leia said, leaning forward in her chair. She toggled the intercom. "Thrawn, do you think we can get a shot through the shield now?"<p>

"_A full-strength blast might get through, but not with enough power to destroy the station or even do any significant damage,"_ the Grand Admiral replied. "_We need the shield completely down for that._"

"I don't want to destroy the whole station right now," said Leia. "Just those antennas at the top."

Thrawn paused for a long moment. "_That, I believe we could do_," he said thoughtfully. "_We could certainly do more with communications restored. However, we would not be able to fire another full-power blast for several minutes at least."_

Leia's fingers tightened on the armrests of her chair. "Then we'll just have to hope we can last that long."

* * *

><p>Jenn kept her eyes closed the whole way down.<p>

Even through her closed lids, she could see the flickers of light as the _Millennium Falcon_ flew straight down the plasma intake shaft at maximum sublight, her deflectors and heat shields turned to maximum but her hull still sizzling. No less than five Jedi and Darth Vader all worked together to protect the _Falcon_ and its occupants from the intense heat of the star-matter flowing up the intake shaft, but still Jenn felt strained to her very limits.

Her scars ached fiercely, as painfully as the original burns which had created them, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on. She focused on staying in the moment, on working with the others to shield this ship against stresses it was never meant to encounter. The heat surrounded her, until she could no longer tell whether the cockpit was actually growing hotter or if it was just the effect of deflecting so much raw energy. Sweat poured out of her, soaking her hair, running down her temples, her neck, her collar, dripping down her back, taut with effort as she leaned forward in her seat, but it brought no relief. Every indrawn breath seemed to be from a furnace, every exhalation a tongue of fire scorching her lips.

Tears joined the sweat rolling down Jenn's cheeks, tears of unbearable pain. Searing agony seemed to fill every cell of her body, worse than the flight up with Corran, worse than what she had felt at Lehon, almost worse than Malachor… but not quite.

Not quite.

From that, she drew strength. Once, during the slow recovery of the power she had lost at Malachor, Kreia had described to her how the Force enhanced certain innate abilities in those gifted with it; some excelled at piloting, others at healing, some had a rapport with living things, others an uncanny talent for finding that which was hidden, or for remaining hidden themselves. Some were born to be leaders, whether in the halls of power or in the chaos of the battlefield.

But Jenn? Above all else, her talent was to _survive_.

Anything the galaxy threw at her, no matter how hard she was knocked down, she kept getting back up. She always had; all her life, no matter how desperate the situation, no matter how uneven the odds, despite pain, despite sorrow, Jenn kept getting back up, kept tenaciously clinging to life no matter who or what tried to take it from her. Something in her, some small part of her deep inside knew she _had_ to survive, that she was meant for something greater, that some nexus of future events _needed_ her to be there.

As the _Falcon_ continued its desperate flight, Jenn realized that nexus was now.

Her destiny, and that of the others aboard this ship, was at hand.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	39. The Great Destroyer

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty-Nine<strong>  
>(The Great Destroyer)<p>

Wedge Antilles braced himself in his command chair as a heavy salvo from the _Obi-Wan Kenobi_'s current opponent rocked the Star Cruiser. The Republic fleet gathered here at Belkadan was taking as severe a beating as Wedge had ever been through in his decades of military service, but giving up was absolutely not an option.

"_Home One_ is under heavy fire!" the comm officer called over to him. "They're requesting assistance."

The flagship's indicator on his command board was flashing ominously, but Wedge could see for himself out of the bridge viewports that Ackbar's vessel was in serious trouble; he could see blooms of flame near the rear of the ship, which meant that not only was the flagship venting atmosphere, but that those compartments were on fire, as well.

"_Home One_ is reporting a coolant leak in their reactor compartment," the comm officer said. "The reactor itself has been severely damaged, and Admiral Ackbar has given the order to abandon ship."

"Helm, bring us around," Wedge ordered. "Fire Control, direct all starboard batteries to cover the escape pods. Fighter Control, direct Red and Gold Squadrons to keep enemy fighters away from the pods."

As his people went to work, Wedge sent out a fleet-wide transmission. "All ships, this is General Antilles. _Home One_ is evacuating. Until Admiral Ackbar's pod is recovered, I'm assuming command of the fleet."

After the chorus of acknowledgments from the other fleet commanders, Wedge directed other nearby warships to cover _Home One_, but the Burned swarmed around the dying ship like piranha beetles around a carcass, some of them continuing to heedlessly slam themselves into its hull now that the point-defense guns could no longer stop them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wedge saw the sensor officer stiffen in his chair a moment before the man spoke. "General, hyperspace activity! Incoming contacts, Imperial transponders."

Wedge permitted himself a tight smile. "Finally!"

"Sir, the _Eclipse_ is hailing us," the comm officer reported.

"Put it through," Wedge ordered.

"_My apologies for not arriving sooner,_" Emperor Fel said. "_Requesting targets."_

"_Home One_ is about to blow, Lord Fel," Wedge replied. "If you could help us cover and collect their escape pods, it would be much appreciated."

"_Acknowledged,_" the Emperor replied. "_We'll be in firing range in one minute._"

* * *

><p>Malysa winced as something above her overloaded in a shower of sparks. "Admiral, we have to go!" she shouted to Ackbar, who stood a pace away around the holoprojector's railing.<p>

Ackbar ignored her for the moment, still calling orders over the command frequency as he studied the tactical display.

A sudden, unexpected jolt threw Malysa into the railing hard enough to knock the wind out of her, and she sagged against it, one hand pressed against her midsection. As she struggled to regain her breath, Wedge's transmission announcing his assumption of command came through the overhead speakers, heavily distorted with static and interference.

"Wedge has it covered," Malysa panted, taking hold of Ackbar's arm. "Now come on!"

The Mon Cal admiral turned his large eyes to her, and, just for a moment, she saw in them a deep sense of pain, almost defeat. She understood; this vessel had been his flagship since the Galactic Civil War, and was more his home than any of the residences he maintained. In all his campaigns, _Home One_ had never before taken this much damage.

But his hesitation lasted only a moment. Ackbar wordlessly gathered himself and hurried off for the last of the bridge escape pods, arriving just moments after the few remaining crewmen who had similarly stayed at their posts. Malysa ducked in after him, paused just long enough to verify everyone's restraints were buckled, and pulled the lever to activate the explosive bolts.

As they hurtled away from _Home One_, Ackbar watched his flagship's death throes, his shoulders slumped as more and more Burned vessels smashed themselves into its hull. Malysa subtly increased the tiny viewport's polarization to protect their eyes from the nova-bright fireball as the great starship's reactor finally went critical and exploded, spreading a nebula of flame out into space.

"What can we do?" Ackbar said quietly. "What can we do against such reckless hate? How do we fight an enemy with such disregard for their own lives?"

Malysa reached over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We fight to protect our own. They fight to destroy; we fight to preserve. If we must die, we die so that others might live. Our lives are not spent heedlessly."

Ackbar nodded once. "Correct as always, Master Jedi." He turned toward the Sullustan officer at the controls of the tiny life-pod. "What is the closest friendly vessel?"

A huge green beam of destructive energy answered for him, streaking past to destroy an enemy dreadnaught on course for another nearby Star Cruiser.

Another of their comrades, a green-skinned Twi'lek, turned up the volume on the comm panel. "_Republic escape pod, this is the _Eclipse," a crisp, Coruscanti-accented voice said. "_Set course for our portside docking bay, and we will bring you aboard with our tractor beams._"

Ackbar leaned forward to answer personally. "Acknowledged, _Eclipse._ This is Admiral Ackbar. Master Kolos and I request permission to join Lord Fel on the bridge."

After a moment's pause, the comm officer came back on the line. "_Granted, Admiral. We'll have a turbolift standing by as soon as you come aboard._"

* * *

><p>Far away, at the other pitched battle raging today, Leia leaned forward in her chair and gripped the armrests tensely, knowing they had to make this count. As soon as the <em>Phoenix<em> fired its superlaser through the Star Forge's weakened shields and destroyed the station's enormous comm antennas, their entire fleet needed to fire a concerted broadside to weaken the enemy armada.

With the shield up, Pyrron could launch no more ships from inside the station; if they could destroy enough of the enemy's already considerable flotilla in one burst, it would even the odds enough for Phoenix and Vanguard Fleets to defend the Death Star while its superlaser array recharged.

Leia just hoped that would buy enough time for the infiltration teams to bring down the shield from the inside. One plasma intake was still online, providing power to the station, and they could do virtually nothing against the great factory for now.

Thrawn's voice came over her comm. "_Firing in three… two… one."_

With a deep, resounding bass hum, the superlaser drew energy from the station's great reactor and then fired, sending a massive green bolt out at the much bigger shape of the Star Forge off in the distance.

The bolt flashed against the shield, most of its energy absorbed into the immensely strong force-field, but just enough made it through to blast apart first one of the antennas mounted at the apex of the upper pylons, then another. As calculated, the explosion sent debris from the first two antennas tumbling toward the third, and the resultant collision destroyed it, as well.

Leia stabbed her finger down onto the 'fleet-wide' button on her comm panel. "Jamming offline! Fire now!"

The gunners of Phoenix and Vanguard Fleets, having already received their targets at her telepathic direction, fired as one from all of their gathered ships, flinging a hailstorm of laser bolts at their foes.

Dozens of enemy vessels exploded under the fusillade, the blasts claiming dozens more, but even still the Burned had many more ships to throw at them.

Leia sank back into her chair, drawing in a deep, calming breath, and went to work again.

* * *

><p>Down at the base of Pylon Two, Ami checked her armor seals one last time, then gave Qeris a thumbs-up to indicate her readiness.<p>

The Imperial Knight nodded once behind the transparent faceplate of her own helmet, then turned off the force-field protecting their plasma intake complex. The two of them braced themselves against the railing as all of the air in the kilometer-wide complex was sucked out into space, the sound growing oddly thinner as less and less air was left to convey it.

Now all they had left to do was wait for Jaina to come get them.

Ami leaned against the metal railing and idly drummed her fingers against it, amusing herself with the fact that she could feel the vibration in her other elbow, but heard no sound whatsoever in the vacuum. It was odd, she reflected, how time could be so relative in battle; sometimes minutes felt like hours - like right now, for instance - and at other times, the chronometer said three hours had gone by when she could have sworn it was only twenty minutes.

She turned to look at her companion, and found Qeris standing at parade rest, her eyes closed in meditation. Ami said nothing for a moment, envying the Imperial Knight's apparently unbreakable composure. Idly, she wondered if she would ever be able to reach that level of control herself, or if she would be stuck as a barely-contained ball of energy and impatience for the rest of her life. According to her mother and Uncle Han, her father had once been the same way, though Ami found that frankly hard to believe.

"Keep breathing," Ami muttered to herself, leaning back against the railing. She wondered where Jenn, Corran and her brother and cousin were now. Probably not sitting around watching the numbers on the chronometer, she thought grumpily. Where was Jaina, anyway?

"_If you've just gotten comfortable, I can come back later,_" Jaina's voice said over their helmet comms.

Ami turned in surprise to see Jaina's fighter hovering soundlessly in the center of the huge room, her cousin's armored head and shoulders visible through the cockpit viewports. This puzzled her for a moment before she remembered that with the chamber open to vacuum, she couldn't have heard the noise of the engines anyway. Or maybe Jaina had deliberately snuck up on her because she thought it was funny. One of those.

The black and gray fighter slowly drew closer to the platform on which they stood and halted within reach of it. The cockpit popped open, and Jaina waved them closer.

"Not that I'm not grateful," Ami said slowly, frowning, "but I see a bit of a problem here."

"What is it?" Qeris asked.

Ami gestured to the cockpit. "I'm really hoping I'm not the only one who sees there are three of us but only two seats."

"I already thought of that," Jaina replied. "My cargo hold is pressurized and shielded; you'll be fine down there. Hop in, Qeris."

"Now wait a minute!" Ami objected. "Why am I automatically the one who has to sit in the cargo hold?"

"Because Qeris is head-and-shoulders taller than you are and she'd never fit down there," Jaina answered. Though her black faceplate was opaque, Ami sensed an amused smirk on her cousin's face. "Look at it this way: it's better than tauntaun guts."

"Yeah, well, at least my dad was unconscious for that," Ami grumbled as Qeris climbed up into the cockpit.

Once the upper compartment was sealed, Jaina's fighter rose a few meters to place the already-open cargo lift within Ami's reach. The girl clambered inside and wedged herself into position, pulling her knees as close to her chest as she could in her armor and tucking her elbows against her sides.

As the lift retracted back inside, Ami found that she had to bend forward, her neck craned at an uncomfortable angle. In addition, it was pitch-black inside the cargo compartment, because, Ami thought sourly, it wasn't intended for passengers.

The ship tilted as Jaina pulled up and around in preparation to leave the intake complex, jostling Ami around in the dark.

She let out a slow, annoyed breath through gritted teeth. "I have never hated being short as much as I do right now."

* * *

><p>In the intake complex at the base of Pylon One, Anakin Solo could only watch as Pyrron single-handedly fought off five Sith. Dozens of gray-robed acolytes stood on the catwalks and platforms around the kilometer-wide chamber, but the Burned Lord himself fought alone.<p>

Even at this distance, Anakin could tell Pyrron was merely toying with the Sith. When the original group of seven had first arrived, he had incinerated two of them immediately, as soon as they crossed the threshold into the complex. Now he dueled the remaining five with Ben and Anakin's confiscated lightsabers, spinning, dodging and leaping between catwalks.

Next to Anakin, Ben leaned closer and murmured, "I can't tell if that's incredible skill or just random movement."

Anakin started to reply, but then paused as he heard a curious noise coming from somewhere above them. "Sounds like…"

"Starship engines," Ben finished for him, also looking up. "_Familiar_ starship engines."

A bright spot was soon distinguishable from the plasma still being drawn up into the station, the echoes of its howling engines reverberating around the complex.

Glowing like a coal plucked fresh from the fire, wreathed in flame, the _Millennium Falcon_ dropped out of the shaft and slowly hovered to a stop above the platform where Ben and Anakin stood surrounded by more than a dozen robed cultists. As they watched, the ship shed its remaining heat in great bursts of steam and smoke, creating a cloud-like haze around the upper part of the chamber.

Even the Sith were momentarily stunned by the spectacle, and paused in their combat with the Burned Lord to watch as the starship slowly descended until its upper hull was roughly level with their position. Pyrron himself let his appropriated lightsabers go out and held them loosely in his hands.

Several long seconds passed as the _Falcon_ hovered steadily, its hull cooling back to normal temperatures. The only sound in the huge complex was the deep pulse of the plasma stream and the thrum of the force-field, accompanied by the sound of the _Falcon_'s thrusters and, barely audible at this distance, the hum of the Sith's lightsabers.

Even from here, Anakin could smell the hot metal, ceramic, and polymer of his father's starship, could hear the hull ticking and popping as it continued to shed heat at an accelerated rate, guided through the Force by those inside.

Finally a spot of light flared from the _Falcon_'s upper hull, interrupted by a huge shape, and with a whoosh of hydraulics, the towering black-cloaked and armored figure of Darth Vader appeared at the top hatch. As he boldly strode forward to stand near the sensor dish, three deep, rasping breaths echoed across the complex before he spoke.

"Burned Lord!" he boomed, deep voice amplified by his helmet. "Your end is here."

Anakin could not clearly make out Pyrron's face from this distance, but he thought he saw the cult leader's eyes flare slightly brighter. "Is it?" Pyrron called with deceptive mildness.

"Your forces are being routed outside," Vader replied, stepping to the edge of the starship's hull. "We have sabotaged the vital systems of this station, and now… Now we have only to kill you and our victory will be complete."

"A simple task, it would seem, for Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars," Pyrron replied. "Or for Darth Vader, the conqueror, the dictator… the great destroyer." Pyrron spread his hands. "Odd that you consider yourself an instrument of justice, Lord Vader, when your hands are even bloodier than my own."

"You must be destroyed," Vader rumbled menacingly. "Your power is great, but mine is greater."

Gesturing with one black-gloved hand, Vader snatched Ben and Anakin's lightsabers from Pyrron's hands with the Force and pulled them across the chamber, where he smoothly snatched them out of the air with his other hand.

Pyrron sneered. "Yes, the great destroyer, so full of power… so full of the Dark Side. See now, _Dark Lord_, what power you have against me."

Suddenly, he turned to the nearest two Sith, snatched their weapons from them with a telekinetic pull, and before they could react, scythed through their black-shrouded bodies with their own scarlet blades. Moving on, he sent twin streams of flame pouring out from his hands at two other Sith, who barely had time to scream in agony before they were burned to ashes.

The last remaining Sith, Darth Glaechyk himself, leaped from an upper catwalk with a cry of rage, his blade held high. He landed heavily a step away from Pyrron, and launched into a blizzard of strikes, his red blade humming and flashing. Pyrron countered him with his own red blades, retreating back for several steps before finally he crossed his weapons in an X to catch one of Glaechyk's overhand blows.

Their blades locked together, the two men stood with their arms raised above their heads, each trying to press the other back through sheer physical strength. But Anakin knew this was a feint, could tell what was about to happen even before he sensed power building within the Burned Lord.

It began with a dim glow in Glaechyk's eyes.

The orange light could easily have been interpreted as Dark Side energy giving light to the Sith Lord's eyes, but soon the orange glow began to emanate from his snarling mouth, from his ears, from his nostrils, from his collar, from inside his sleeves and the cuffs of his trousers.

Each glowing spot flared into a tongue of flame.

Glaechyk screamed, and his breath burst into flame. The flame brightened, obscuring his face, but still Anakin could hear the agonized howling across the chamber. Fire wrapped around the Sith Lord in streaks like mummifying bands, until he was completely enshrouded, a man-shaped torch entirely made of fire.

Glaechyk's death scream built into an inhuman wail that faded into a hissing sound, blending with the crackling of the flames surrounding him. The fire flared even brighter for a moment, and when it finally faded away, nothing was left of Glaechyk but drifting wisps of ash.

"Come then, Sith Master," Pyrron challenged. "See what you become in the Fire."

Anakin looked back over to his grandfather, and saw that Vader had been joined atop the _Falcon_'s hull by Jenn, Corran, Luke, Mara, and Revan, who now wore his mask and the hood of his long black robe up over it. All held their lightsabers in their hands, ignited.

Pyrron spread his hands, his dual red blades stretched out to either side, and let out a short, mocking laugh. "Such power gathered here against me, and to what end? Do you think the six of you will fare any better? What a waste!"

"The waste is what _you_'ve been doing," Jenn countered, lowering her cyan blade to her side. She gestured up at the chamber around them with her other hand. "All this work, all this effort, and for what? So you can destroy every living thing in the galaxy? Why?"

"Why?" Pyrron snapped. "_Why?_" He mockingly imitated her gesture, one blade whooshing with the movement. "This galaxy is _infested_ with vermin, with _parasites_ sucking the vitality from those stronger and more worthy of life. Your civilization is stagnant, stultified by useless trash so concerned with their own pointless, meaningless lives that they hold back those truly worthy of greatness."

Pyrron spread his arms again, raising his hands high above his head. "Why do you, all of you, continue to resist me? We are _gods_! The universe is meant to be _ruled_ by our kind, not given over to lesser beings too weak and too stupid to truly understand the world around them. Life too weak to survive on its own must be quashed by the strong! Only those who can survive the Fire are worthy of life, and everything else must be destroyed so that we may rebuild on their ashes!"

"How disappointing," Mara called down to him. "After all this, you're nothing but another jumped-up would-be conqueror. Hundreds of men like you have popped up over the centuries, only to be put down by the Jedi. _You're_ the parasite."

Pyrron whirled his blades through a quick spiraling pattern and dropped into a guard position. "Come then, Jedi," he snarled in challenge. "Put me down, if you can."

* * *

><p>"Knight Solo's fighter is clear," LaRone said, pointing to one of the sensor monitors in the cockpit of their dropship.<p>

"And the jamming is off," Jacen added, gesturing to a different monitor. "Looks like that shot from the _Phoenix_ made it through."

"Why didn't they shoot the last shield generator down at Pylon One?" Hiqs asked, banking their vessel to the left to avoid an incoming flight of enemy fighters. "Then the shield would be off, we could all get out of here, and blow this thing away."

"It took a full-power shot to get through," Jacen replied. "Even at one-third strength, the Star Forge's shield is still strong enough to absorb most of the blast. The generator and intake complex are heavily armored; the reduced blast wouldn't have been enough to destroy them. And on top of that, it takes the _Phoenix_ quite a while to recharge after a full-power shot." He shook his head. "No, it's up to my father's team to take out the last intake complex."

"Well, until they do, there's not a whole lot we can do stuck inside the shield," Hiqs said. "We're not gonna last forever against all these fighters."

"What can we do in the meantime?" LaRone asked, half-turning in his seat to look back at Jacen.

Jacen grinned. "We still have some missiles left, don't we?"

LaRone turned to check, then nodded once.

"What do you say we head up to the factory and make a great big mess?" Jacen said, leaning forward in his seat. "All those half-finished ships just sitting there, some of their reactor cores exposed…"

"With the jamming off, we can blow some of the charges the droids planted, too," LaRone said. "The confusion might be able to buy Lord Vader's team a little more time, anyway."

"Get on the comm to Jaina," Jacen said. "She'll want in on this, too."

* * *

><p>"Kill them!"<p>

Ben barely had time to draw on the link to defend himself before the cultists around him and Anakin obeyed their leader's shouted command and unleashed a torrent of fire upon the boys.

Once again, they were able to shield themselves, and when the conflagration finally faded away, they stood from their crouch, unharmed.

Anakin smirked mockingly. "You guys just don't learn, do you?"

One of the cultists responded to this by snap-kicking at his abdomen, and Anakin narrowly managed to twist out of the way.

"Okay, maybe you do."

Ben looked up as, atop the _Falcon,_ Vader turned to him, opened his hand, and sent the boys' lightsabers sailing across the chamber to them. Anakin caught his first, and he started swinging the instant his indigo blade flashed into being.

The sky-blue blade of Ben's lightsaber joined him a moment later, and though they were quickly surrounded, their sparking blades kept the enemy at bay for a few moments at least.

Across the complex, Vader leaped from the _Falcon_ to the catwalk near Pyrron in one great bound, his black cloak flaring out around him. As he landed with a heavy clang on the metal grating of the catwalk, his steel-gray blade shrieked out from the black hilt he held in one gloved fist.

Several cultists nearby started for him at a run, but Luke met one group with a flying leap, his emerald blade spinning even as he landed, and Jenn met the other, a powerful Force push sending most of them tumbling over the railings.

More of the Burned Ones, however, headed for Ben and Anakin, many of them screaming battle cries. As before, they cut down any who came too close, but there were always more behind. Even as Ben scrambled to think of something to push the crowd back for a moment, the _Falcon_'s turrets roared to life, spitting orange fire from both emplacements at the encroaching horde.

* * *

><p>In the upper turret, Han swiveled to the right and raked another cluster of Burned with his lasers, careful not to fire too close to his son and nephew. A fierce bellow from Chewbacca echoed up from the ventral turret as the Wookiee poured fire from his own guns into the ever-growing crowd.<p>

"Where are all these guys coming from?" Han muttered to himself. He raised one hand to his headset. "Artoo, take us down a few meters."

The astromech whistled and beeped back from the cockpit, and obligingly lowered the vessel several meters to give the gunners a better firing angle.

Chewbacca howled a warning up the turret well, and Han frowned as he turned to look for himself. Chewie hadn't been underestimating things; hundreds of gray-robed cultists were pouring into the kilometer-wide complex through the open blast door at the far end.

"We're getting a lot more party crashers," Han warned urgently over the team's headsets. "Somebody ought to get over there and shut that door."

"_We can't!_" Corran replied, his voice taut with effort as he fought. "_Jenn and I had to cut that door open to get out of here during the lockdown._"

"Of course!" Han growled, pelting the crowd around the door with another round of blaster bolts. But still more climbed over the bodies of the others and charged inside.

"_Corran, Mara, with me_," said Revan. Outside, Han could see blue and red lightsabers spinning and whirling as the Jedi Master fought his way up a ramp. "_I'll get the boys while you two head for the entrance. We might be able to wedge the door back in the frame and seal it off as a barricade."_

"_Oh, sure,"_ Mara said sarcastically. "_There's only about three hundred Burned in the way. No problem._"

"Chewie, cover Revan and the boys," Han called down to his friend.

When the Wookiee growled acknowledgement, Han hauled his turret around and started blasting away at the crowd between his sister-in-law and the door.

Han had been in too many firefights to still feel squeamish about taking another being's life to preserve his own or those of his comrades, but even he felt a little sick about the sheer number of bodies piling up around the catwalks and platforms of the complex; these weren't droids he was blowing away out there. Even if they were howling near-mindless drones of the cult leader, they were still people - or had been, once.

But, they were threatening his family, and when he had to defend people he cared about, the decision to pull the trigger wasn't hard at all.

* * *

><p>Back at Belkadan, the battered Republic fleet fought with renewed vigor as their numbers were bolstered by the mighty Imperial navy. On the bridge of the <em>Eclipse<em>, Malysa stood with Ackbar next to the Emperor's command chair, working with the other Jedi to help keep the fleet organized.

"Target locked, sir," the fire-control officer called back to them.

"Fire!" Emperor Fel ordered.

The _Eclipse_'s superlaser raked an enemy cruiser with green energy, and as the bolt pierced its reactor core, it flew apart in a bloom of wreckage and flame.

"That's the last of the heavy cruisers," Ackbar said, studying the tactical projection intently. "We've broken their charge; only light frigates and fighters are left now."

"It's a good thing you got here when you did," Malysa remarked to the Emperor. "Another few minutes and we could have been overrun."

"Enemy vessel on a collision course!" the sensor officer reported.

"I see it," Fel replied, looking at his display. "Fire Control, direct all forward batteries to destroy it before it hits us."

"It's going too fast, sir!" the fire-control officer replied. "We can't get a lock."

His mouth set in a grim line beneath his dark beard, Fel toggled the intercom for ship-wide. "All hands, brace for impact!"

Moments later, the deck rocked beneath Malysa's feet, and she took hold of the back of Fel's chair with one hand, reaching out with the other to steady Ackbar beside her. The lights flickered and dimmed, and though sparks sprayed from a few overloaded systems, none of the warning klaxons Malysa had been expecting went off.

"Strange…" Fel mused aloud. "It didn't explode; it's still in one piece, sticking halfway out of the hull. It must have had a reinforced front end."

"_Intruder alert, intruder alert!_" a voice suddenly said from the overhead speakers. "_Hostiles on Deck Three, Section-"_ The message suddenly cut off in screaming and the sound of crackling flame and blaster-fire.

"Apparently they learned a few tricks from the Vong," Malysa said sourly, starting for the exit. "I'm on my way."

But a report from the sensor officer made her stop in her tracks: "Sir, hyperspace activity! Incoming contacts!"

"How many?" Fel asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Thousands, sir," the sensor officer replied, audibly shocked. "_Tens_ of thousands."

"Distance?" Ackbar asked.

"Twelve light-minutes, Admiral."

"Excluding micro-jumps, that puts them roughly fifteen to twenty minutes away at maximum sublight," Fel said. "Possibly less if they push their engines beyond the redlines."

"Which they're known to do," said Ackbar. "Can we form a defensive line in time?"

"Against that many ships?" Fel said skeptically.

"Sir, more incoming contacts," the sensor officer called out. "Behind us this time!"

"Reinforcements?" Fel asked warily.

"Negative, sir; no transponders." The sensor officer paused for a moment, gazing at his monitors. "Visual telemetry confirms… More Burned."

Ackbar stiffened in alarm. "We're surrounded!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Get down!<em>"

Back on the Star Forge, Anakin reflexively obeyed his father and ducked along with Ben and Revan, the three of them currently halfway up a ramp leading up to the upper levels of the plasma intake complex.

As he watched, a concussion missile streaked out of one of the _Millennium Falcon_'s forward launch tubes and into the press of Burned Ones at the door of the complex. Aside from causing an ear-popping change in air pressure, the detonation sent dozens of robed bodies flying through the air and away from the door, buying them some space.

"Come on!" Revan urged, pulling the boys to their feet.

Together, they hurried up to where Corran and Mara already waited near the entryway. "That only bought us a few seconds," Corran warned as they approached. "And there's a _lot_ of them out there."

"So what do we do?" Ben asked, anxiously shifting his grip on his lightsaber.

"We hold the line," Revan said calmly, his voice rendered even more flat by his mask. "Han, Chewie, keep most of the crowd back with the turrets. Corran, Mara, and I will form a line on the platform just below the entryway." He turned to Ben and Anakin, gesturing to where the platform branched off into catwalks leading into the rest of the complex. "Boys, you stay behind us and focus on shielding the three of us from the Burned Ones' powers. It's also up to you to deal with anyone who makes it past us. We have to buy Luke, Jenn, and Vader enough time to take out Pyrron."

Anakin glanced over his shoulder to where those three fought the Burned Lord along one of the catwalks across the huge circular chamber. Pyrron fought fiercely enough with his lightsabers to keep all three of them at bay. However, Anakin could also sense him trying to use his powers on them, though Jenn in turn focused on shielding Luke and Vader from this, allowing them to keep up the attack.

He turned back to his own group as the sound of hundreds, _thousands_ of charging footsteps echoed down the passageway through the door before them. Beyond that, Anakin could sense the horde, all crackling with power and seething with maddened rage.

"There are tens of thousands of them charging down this pylon," Corran warned, igniting his lightsaber again. "We're not going to last long against numbers like that."

"We don't have to last forever," Revan replied, igniting his own blades and whirling them through dual infinity loops in front of himself.

Mara held her magenta blade upright in guard position, her shoulders squaring with determination. "Just long enough," she finished for him.

* * *

><p>Jaina studied the sensor readings in the cockpit of her fighter, a slow smile spreading across her face beneath her helmet. "You know," she said conversationally as she flew her fighter through the massive space of the factory, "there is one upside to this overly huge Rakatan design aesthetic."<p>

Qeris, manning the guns from the seat behind her, fired a torpedo into a cluster of enemy fighters ahead of them. "And what would that be?" she inquired.

"Some of these corridors leading down into the pylons are big enough that I bet we could get my fighter through them," Jaina replied.

To Qeris' credit, she did not question whether Jaina was a good enough pilot to actually manage such a thing. Instead, she calmly asked, "To what end?"

"If we can get far enough down those switch-backed passageways," Jaina answered, heading down for the entrance to Pylon One, "or better yet, blast our way into the turbolift shaft, we could get down near the intake complex and seal off the passage leading up to the rest of the station."

"Thereby preventing this crowd of Burned Ones from getting down to the complex," Qeris extrapolated, "and taking some of the pressure off of your grandfather's team."

"Right," Jaina confirmed. "We can't go blasting away in the complex itself, since they're all still in there, but they'd probably appreciate not having to deal with quite so many of these guys."

"_I'm sorry, what?!_" Ami said over their helmet comms. "_Have we just decided to try and fly this thing down a _turbolift shaft_?! Do I get a vote on this?"_

"No," Jaina replied mildly, making adjustments to her shields with one hand while still flying with the other. She hailed her brother's ship. "Jacen, we're going to need some cover here in a minute."

"_Another bright idea, I take it?_" Jacen replied, the barest hint of dry amusement coloring his tone.

"But of course," Jaina replied with a grin. "I'd appreciate not having company for the next few minutes; I'm not going to have much room to maneuver, and I'd really rather not have to deal with enemy fighters on top of that."

"_Understood,_" said Jacen. "_We'll do our best._"

Jaina's only reply to this was a wordless exuberant whoop as she headed for the pylon entrance and Qeris started blasting.

* * *

><p>Luke and his father fell into a wordless, almost instinctive rhythm as they dueled their opponent. Pyrron was either incredibly skilled or incredibly reckless, and moved so furiously that his dual red blades were able to keep Luke, Vader, and Jenn back. But this was not the first time Luke had dueled a powerful opponent alongside his father.<p>

Pyrron attempted to leap up and over Luke, but Vader sent out a powerful Force push and knocked the Burned Lord off his trajectory. The cult leader landed heavily at the base of the ramp on which Luke stood, but quickly regained his feet and began to charge upwards.

However, Jenn made a Force-assisted leap of her own, jumping first to another catwalk a few meters away, then down to the curving walkway just behind their opponent. Pyrron whirled to face her, and they quickly exchanged a rapid sequence of strikes, but after only a few seconds, Luke descended the ramp and attacked, forcing the Burned Lord to divide his attention between them.

Through all of this, Luke could sense the simmering, almost boiling sensation as Pyrron gathered his power, trying to unleash it upon them. But still Jenn held him back with her own powers, and Luke and Vader continually harried him with their blades, further stretching the Burned Lord's concentration.

Pyrron suddenly leaped straight up, landing on a walkway several meters above his former position. "I sense your weakness, Sith Master," he called down to Vader. "Your friends may hold back my Fire for now, but your darkness is only greater fuel for it. It will consume you soon enough."

Luke could sense the truth of this; Vader was clearly tiring, exhaustion visible in his posture even though his face was still hidden behind his mask. Even his regulated breathing was beginning to sound labored.

"He's right, Father," Luke said gently. "The Dark Side is not making you stronger, not against him. The only way you'll survive this is if you give it up."

"I am not going to survive this, Luke," Vader said wearily. "I only need to last long enough to help you destroy this monster. That is your destiny."

And as Luke watched, orange light began to flicker behind the black lenses of his mask.

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!<p> 


	40. The End Is Here

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Forty<strong>  
>(The End Is Here)<p>

Jenn charged at the Burned Lord, trying to break his concentration. Letting go of her lightsaber with one hand, she gestured dramatically and telekinetically shoved him off-balance. As he stumbled, she pushed him again, and he toppled backwards over the railing.

But even in mid-air, Pyrron changed his trajectory with a telekinetic push of his own, and he landed atop the _Falcon_, dropping to one knee in the middle of the port cargo mandible. His eyes glowed with power and rage as he turned toward the main section of the starship, one hand outstretched as he started to use his powers on Han and Chewbacca.

Jenn sprinted and leaped, pushing herself through the air to land on the starboard cargo mandible, and once more she attacked, spinning her blade at the Burned Lord with all the skill she possessed.

"You are becoming quite the annoyance," he growled at her as their blades locked momentarily. "No matter how I try to kill you, you just will not die!"

"Must be my survival instinct," Jenn replied, leaning into the blade-lock across the gap between the _Falcon_'s cargo mandibles. "Something I have in common with every other living thing." She shifted her feet for greater stability. "You can feel the Force. Why can't you feel that we are all connected through it? _All_ life creates the Force, makes it grow, and in turn we are all strengthened by it. We don't _take_ strength from each other; we _share_ it, and that is how we gain our power. Destroying some only weakens all."

Pyrron broke the blade-lock and leaned back, and they exchanged a further series of strikes before he paused and drew back a step. He sneered. "You presume to lecture me? You, a woman who has destroyed thousands of lives?"

"To _preserve_ life," Jenn countered. "Every life I have taken has been in defense, not aggression. I fight to defend those who cannot defend themselves against men like you. Yes, I will kill when I have to, even on a scale like Malachor, if it means preventing worse horrors from being visited upon the innocent. I do it, _I_ have to live with it, so that others don't have to. That's what I believe being a Jedi means." She gestured out with her left hand. "Yes, there is brutality and cruelty; injustice is still rampant in this galaxy because of selfish beings with too much power thinking only of themselves." She dropped her hand to her side and slowly shook her head once. "But this…? This is not the way to fix things."

"Only the strong are worthy of life!" Pyrron shouted at her, his fists clenched. "The weeds, the underbrush… all that must be burned away if the entire forest is to thrive!"

"Your definitions of strength and weakness are far too limited," said Jenn. "Power itself is nothing. It's what you _do_ with the power you have that makes you truly strong."

"Though we are linked, you still do not understand," Pyrron said, his eyes flaring still brighter. "I will _make_ you understand. I will show you what power is!"

And with that, he turned the full brunt of his power upon her, and ignited within her a pain against which everything else she had ever experienced was nothing.

* * *

><p>Qeris braced herself as Jaina rapidly slowed the fighter. They had mere centimeters of clearance around the wings in the turbolift shaft; the slightest mistake, and they would be dead before they even knew what had happened. And yet, Jaina had gone practically full-speed down the shaft anyway, knowing her friends and family were in danger from the horde below. A lesser pilot, Qeris reflected, wouldn't have lasted ten seconds; Jaina had made it all the way down to the bottom of the shaft, and now they were about to emerge from the hole their torpedoes had already blasted.<p>

As planned, they came out shooting.

The huge, open corridors of the Star Forge were indeed large enough to accommodate their vessel, but just barely. The rest of the space inside was filled with Burned, hundreds upon hundreds of them swarming over one another like insects.

Dimly, off to one side far below them, she could see flashing multicolored lights, and realized it was the glow from lightsabers, those of the defenders guarding the entryway into the plasma intake complex against this crowd.

As she fired the wingtip cannons, sending gray-robed bodies scattering like leaves, Qeris saw the lights suddenly disappear. "What happened?" she said.

"Looks like somebody had enough presence of mind to drop another emergency bulkhead, probably trying to keep us out of the intake complex," Jaina replied. "Did part of our job for us anyway, though; now there's only one compartment's worth of Burned still able to get into the complex. Now we just create another block a little ways farther up."

After some careful maneuvering and a few judicious missile launches, they had achieved their goal, and more blaster-fire left them more or less alone in the compartments they had blocked off.

A transmission came through from Jacen, but it was broken up and heavily distorted with static. "…_emy fighters… -sage block… we have to…_"

"What's he saying?" Qeris asked.

"Not sure," Jaina replied. "There's a lot of interference on the…" She trailed off, and Qeris sensed in her a sinking feeling. "That's what it is," she said, subdued.

"_It's what?_" Ami asked. "_What's going on?_"

"According to my sensors, the turbolift shafts have been blocked off by debris," Jaina answered. "That's what Jacen was trying to tell us; some enemy fighters got past them and either crashed while trying to follow us or just deliberately rammed the entrance to the shaft. Either way, we're trapped down here."

"_We could cut our way out with our lightsabers,"_ Ami offered. "_We're close to the exterior hull in this section, aren't we?_"

"I'm sorry, how long did it take you and Qeris to cut through the hull over in Pylon Two?" Jaina said testily. " 'Cause just a two-meter-square hole took me and Jacen a ridiculously long time. And we can't blast our way out from the inside, either, because we're sealed in and the explosion would just blow back on us."

"The interior walls aren't so heavily armored, though," said Qeris.

"_Yeah, but there's nothing down here except turbolift shafts, switchback passageways, and the plasma intake shaft,_" said Ami. "_Not a lot of options there._"

"We could probably blast our way into the intake shaft without too much of a problem," Jaina mused. "But with the plasma stream still on, we'd get fried like an egg."

Qeris sighed quietly. "Then Master Skywalker's team is our only hope."

* * *

><p>At Belkadan, the massive enemy fleet was drawing ever closer, but a boarding party already roamed through the halls of <em>Eclipse<em>. Malysa raced to meet them alongside a group of armored Imperial Knights and two platoons of Imperial marines.

The voice of the sensor officer echoed throughout the ship, a calm, measured countdown to the arrival of the enemy formation. "_Six light-minutes and closing."_

Malysa's group rounded a corner and found half a dozen robed Burned Ones waiting for them. Immediately, the marines opened fire, and, while the cultists' concentration was broken, Malysa and the Imperial Knights swept in to cut them down before they could use their powers.

But even as they finished the last of the group, another emerged from a side passage.

"_Five light-minutes and closing._"

* * *

><p>At the Star Forge, in the intake complex at the base of Pylon One, Ben felt the attack on Jenn but did not dare break his own concentration to try to help her. His group of five were managing to hold the entryway against the horde for now, the bodies piling up around them, but even though a bulkhead had somehow gotten sealed a few compartments above them, the crowd was still dozens strong.<p>

Ben did his best to ignore his exhaustion, drew upon the Force, and continued to fight.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the complex, Luke leaped up to the <em>Millennium Falcon<em> and landed near Pyrron, blade swinging as soon as his boots touched the hull.

Pyrron was forced to cease his assault on Jenn to deal with Luke, and he ignited his blades again, surrounding himself in a web of red light as he first defended himself, then went on the attack. Nearby, Jenn slumped down on the starboard cargo mandible, breathing heavily.

Luke matched Pyrron blow for blow, steadily driving the Burned Lord back up the _Falcon_'s hull near the sensor dish. Laser fire from Han's turret blazed past them at the horde still pouring in through the entryway, but neither of them took note except to move aside.

After a few moments, Luke took advantage of a momentary pause in the combat to step back a pace. "I have to know," he said, shouting to make himself heard over the roar of the turrets. "Why? Why are you so full of rage?"

Pyrron attacked again, savagely slamming his blades against Luke's in a wild fury, until finally he too paused and took a step back. "Once, I was powerless," he replied. "I had no control over my own life. I was treated as nothing, a mere tool in a great machine whose only purpose was to give power to those who did not deserve it."

He spread his arms, gesturing to the Star Forge and the battle around them. "Then I passed through the Fire. The Fire burned away my weakness, my powerlessness, and left behind the instrument of this galaxy's salvation. The unworthy must be purged."

Luke lifted his chin, meeting the cult leader's eyes over the glow of their blades. "And who are you to decide who is worthy? What makes you think you're better than everyone else?"

Pyrron smiled unpleasantly, his eyes widening until the whites stood out even more in the network of tattoos covering his face. "I survived. Only those who survive are worthy of life. Those who are weak must be destroyed by the strong."

Luke shook his head, squaring his shoulders. "I don't see things that way. Selfishly fighting for power only makes things worse for everyone."

The Burned Lord raised his blades again. "That is why you are unworthy." His eyes flared with orange light. "That is why you will die."

Pyrron's spinning, slashing attacks grew ever more frenzied, and Luke was forced to focus on defense, all his concentration devoted to keeping his blade between himself and Pyrron's weapons. Even still, he felt a sense of heat building up inside himself. Luke tried to summon the power to defend against this as well, and momentarily felt the feverish feeling lessen, but he knew that without help, he had only a few minutes at best. The Star Forge amplified Pyrron's powers far beyond their normal limits, while Luke had no such source of reinforcement.

He stumbled as the strain began to take its toll on him, but fortunately Jenn had recovered somewhat, and was there to catch Pyrron's strike on her own blade.

Together, they shifted their weapons through defensive patterns, each helping to reinforce the other, and this bought them a bit more time. But Pyrron just seemed to be growing stronger, moving even more quickly as his eyes glowed even more brightly, washing out his features in a luminous orange haze.

Luke and Jenn fought doggedly, but he knew the two of them, drained as they were from a long day's fighting, under relentless assault from within by Pyrron's powers, exhausted from having to keep up their blade-work, could not last much longer against such sheer power.

Without turning away from the fight, Luke shouted in desperation, "Father, help us!"

* * *

><p>On the platform below the hovering <em>Falcon<em>, Vader leaned against the railing, feeling like he was burning up from the inside out. Orange light flickered behind the lenses of his mask, and from his collar, reflecting off of the inside curve of his helmet. He felt like at any moment his entire body would burst into flame.

Through sheer force of will, Vader fought against the internal assault, though he could feel himself weakening. The more he drew on the Dark Side for strength, the more the fire seemed to spread.

Dimly, he heard his son's cry for help, but he could not summon the strength even to stand.

"Anakin."

Vader looked for the source of the voice, in agony, almost unable to breathe. Wheezing, he fumbled at the closures of his helmet with his gloved hands.

"Let go, Anakin."

He felt delirious. The voice sounded like Obi-Wan's, but was he imagining it, or was his old teacher actually here?

Finally he found the releases, and with a hiss of decreasing pressure, he pulled off his helmet and let it drop to the metal floor. Still breathing heavily, his hair soaked with sweat, he slipped down along the bracing post of the railing beside him, unable to even stay on his feet.

* * *

><p>At the entryway, Mara cut down another charging cultist, then paused as she noticed something odd: the Burned Ones at the back of the group weren't moving.<p>

She fought on, continuing to hold her section of the line, but it quickly became apparent that the entire crowd was slowing down, more and more of them simply stopping in place with vacant expressions.

When the last of the cultists had stopped attacking them and just stood there, Revan turned to her, his face hidden by his mask but his posture wary. "What's going on?" he said, suspicious.

"It's Pyrron," said Corran, gesturing over to the fight atop the _Falcon_. "He's drawing power out of them for his assault on Luke, Jenn and Vader."

"They need help," Mara said, her fingers tightening around her lightsaber as she watched her husband fight. She could sense his pain almost as if it was her own.

The Burned began to stir again, but Revan gestured across the chamber with one of his lightsabers. "Go!" he urged. "We can handle things here."

Mara nodded once and left at a run, her eyes locked on the flashing sabers atop her brother-in-law's starship as she traversed the catwalks around the edge of the circular chamber. As she ran, she felt a sort of feverish heat begin to build up inside herself, but she ignored it, focused on her goal.

* * *

><p>"The darkness cannot help you, Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice said, stronger now. "It has never helped you. Let go, and find your true strength." He almost seemed to be visible now, a faint outline, features barely distinguishable. Other figures flickered in the mist behind him, vague, familiar shapes like fragments from a half-forgotten memory.<p>

"I… I can't," Vader panted.

"You _can_," Obi-Wan said firmly. "If not for yourself, then for your family."

Vader let out a wheezing, bitter scoff. "My family… doesn't care about me. They've all rejected me." His eyes began to slip closed.

"Have they?"

Something in Obi-Wan's tone made him open his eyes again. To his surprise, he saw Mara standing there in front of him, her expression hard, but at the same time, almost ashamed.

"For a long time, I've resented you," she said. "I've been so angry at the things you did in the past that it's kept me from seeing you _now_. Luke is right; you're not the same as you were when I served you." She paused, looking away. "I've been letting your setbacks blind me to the progress you have made, and it's been holding _me_ back."

Mara met his eyes again. "I was wrong," she admitted. One corner of her mouth quirked in a slight wry smile. "We're _both_ wrong, but fortunately, we can both do something about it."

"I have been this way for so long," Vader said. "I… do not know if I can change."

"You already have," Mara said, her expression softening. "You're partway there already, but instead of helping you, I've been holding you back. My hatred is hurting us both; it's what hatred _does_. It helps no one. It solves nothing. It's nothing but a poison that rots you from the inside."

She took a step closer to him. "We can do this," she said gently. "_We_ can let go of our hate. It's the only way we can work together."

She paused, and in her eyes, he saw the last traces of the anger and resentment she had harbored toward him for so long finally fade away. "We're stronger together than we ever are alone." She reached out to him with one hand. "So let's do this. Together."

He felt it, felt the assurance from his former student and from the others scattered around today's battlefield. They were all willing to accept him, to welcome him, but only if he finally let go of his selfishness, his anger - if he let go of the Dark Side.

And because of that, he found that he could.

He reached up to take Mara's hand.

* * *

><p>Atop the <em>Falcon<em>, Luke sensed his wife and father approaching, but so did Pyrron; the Burned Lord redoubled his fiery assault on Luke and Jenn, stepping back and lowering his blades, and Luke had to stop, to focus completely on using his own powers to defend himself against the Fire. An orange haze seemed to surround the edge of his vision, and a terrible heat pulsed through him in waves, as if his blood had turned to magma within his veins.

Pyrron looked over as Luke's father and Mara leaped up to the _Falcon_'s upper hull and approached, their blades held already active in their hands. The older man's helmet was gone, but his face was an equally serious mask of resolve.

"So, Darth Vader meets his end," said Pyrron, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"He does," Luke's father said. He stood up straighter, and it seemed as if a great weight, long carried, had finally left his shoulders. "Your Fire has worked - in a way. Because of it, I have become who I truly am."

The Burned Lord grinned fiercely. "So I have succeeded."

"No," the elder Skywalker said calmly, more calmly than Luke had ever heard him speak before. He even smiled slightly, an expression somehow made all the more genuine because of its unpracticed unsteadiness. "You have failed. Darth Vader is no more. I stand with my family."

"Then… _Skywalker_," Pyrron said in a slow, venomous hiss, "you will die with your family."

With that, he raised his hands again, and the fever inside Luke became a furnace.

* * *

><p>Aboard the <em>Phoenix<em>, Leia sensed the enemy ships slowly cease fire and indeed stop moving altogether as their crews stilled, their leader's influence slowly fading away as he became increasingly distracted with the battle he fought personally.

Some of the ships started moving under their own power again and resumed the attack on the allied fleet, but astonishingly, others began to attack each other with equal ferocity, mindlessly ripping one another apart in a fit of rage. The chaotic jumble of anger was so strong Leia had to lessen her own Battle Meditation in order to block it out.

She could also sense the struggle far below at the base of the last remaining functional pylon. Leia felt her father finally start to let go of the darkness in his heart, and her own heart soared with hope. She reached out to him across the chaos and the void, silently extending her reassurance and support, even as she felt a strange heat begin to build up inside her.

* * *

><p>At Belkadan, in the corridors of the <em>Eclipse<em>, Malysa hastily backed away in surprise as the cultist she had been fighting suddenly stopped and, bizarrely, began to thrash uncontrollably. Nearby, another abruptly jumped at one of his fellow cultists and began savagely beating him. Another simply stopped altogether, staring vacantly at the wall.

The marines and Imperial Knights with her similarly pulled back as, all down the corridor, the enemy boarding party abruptly halted and, one by one, either froze or began to attack one another instead, some with merely fists and feet, others with blasts of fire.

"What's going on?" one of the Imperial Knights asked, one hand raised in front of his face to shield his eyes from the heat.

"It's Pyrron," Malysa replied as they retreated down the corridor. "Without him, they're just completely losing control!"

* * *

><p>Standing before the Burned Lord, Anakin Skywalker raised his blade, preparing himself. The other three Jedi atop the <em>Falcon<em>'s hull stood frozen, all their own power devoted to shielding themselves. He felt the heat within himself as well, but pushed through it and advanced; though the others were focused on defending themselves against the Burned Lord's power, they reached out to him, lent him their strength so that he could act while they could not.

Pyrron stepped forward and looked him in the eye. "Why do you continue to fight me?" he asked as he stalked toward Anakin. "I seek to restore order to a chaotic, unbalanced galaxy. My goal is the same as yours has been for your entire life."

"And you're using the same methods I have," Anakin replied, holding his weapon out between himself and his opponent. "Instead of working with people, you work against them and try to force them to do what you think they should. You don't see other people as _people_." He sighed. "And that is why you will fail, as I did."

"I am here because you failed!" Pyrron rejoined, slashing with his blade. "You could have reshaped this ruined galaxy, and you _failed! _I am here to rule this galaxy the way you should have."

"I failed because of the way I ruled it," Anakin countered as he parried the blows. "I governed with hate, with brutality and force because I saw myself as better than everyone else. And so I tried to force them to be the way I thought they should be."

"You were right," said Pyrron, circling to the left. "If you had crushed the Rebellion with more force, you would have won!"

"It is because I used such brutal methods that my Empire fractured and I lost!" Anakin reiterated. "My tyranny, my brutality, my treating my subjects with such contempt… _I_ created the Rebellion. I created all of my own enemies. The more I mistrusted people and tried to control them, the more I turned them against me. It has taken me my entire life to see why I was so wrong, though I should have known it all the time."

"You are wrong now!" Pyrron shouted, his eyes flashing brighter as he clenched his hands around his weapons. "Weakness must be destroyed! Power is everything, and it must be taken from those who do not deserve it!"

Anakin shook his head sadly. "That sort of thinking is what first led me into the Dark Side. I thought all I needed to solve my problems was more power, but the more power I used, the weaker I became."

Pyrron raised his blades again. "You are still weak," he snarled. "And that is why you will be _destroyed!_"

As he spoke the last word, his eyes flared with light again, the fiery internal assault within Anakin increased in strength. Behind him, the other three all cried out in pain.

Anakin raised his lightsaber and attacked, striving to distract Pyrron, to keep his focus so the others could defend themselves. He advanced, forcing Pyrron to retreat under his punishing sequence of strikes. He drove the Burned Lord further back along the hull of the _Falcon_, forcing him away from the other three who stood near the cargo mandibles.

"Your resistance is pointless," Pyrron said as their blades crashed together. He stepped to the side, drawing one arm back for another blow. "Your power can never match mine. Not here within this station where I am stronger."

Anakin turned this strike aside, as well. "Talmak is right; you can feel the Force, but you do not understand it."

"I understand that it gives me power," Pyrron said as he swung his right blade around in an overhand blow. "And that is all I need."

"You are wrong," said Anakin, catching the strike on his lightsaber. He leaned forward, using his weight to add more momentum as he shoved his opponent's blade aside. "As wrong as I was when I first fell to the Dark Side." He took a step back, holding his steel-gray blade between himself and Pyrron. "And as wrong as I was when I saw that it was not the answer but still refused to give it up. It has taken me almost fifty years to understand something I should have known all along."

Pyrron attacked again, but with a series of spiraling parries and counter-strikes, Anakin held him back. He took a long step to the side, keeping himself between the Burned Lord and the others.

"I have used the Force my entire life without truly understanding it," he said, speaking his realizations aloud. "I thought the Dark Side held the answers, but only because I did not understand it for what it was. As long as I remained under its influence, I was blind to the truth."

Anakin took in a slow, calming breath, and stood up straighter as he released it. "The Dark Side is not half of a whole. It is an infection, a disease of the Force itself."

Pyrron smirked triumphantly. "So you admit I am right."

"No, you are wrong," Anakin replied. "And if you let me, I will explain why."

Pyrron wordlessly took a step back and let his lightsabers go out, his expression one of condescending indulgence. At the same time, Anakin felt the fiery inward assault fade - but only slightly.

Anakin closed down his own weapon and began, ignoring the still-burning pain. "The Dark Side is characterized, more than anything else, by selfishness - acting to benefit oneself at the detrimental expense of another. Selfishness is inherently, intrinsically, mistrust. And mistrust is, ultimately, born from fear; the fear that another will act selfishly, will seek to harm you to benefit themselves. The true weakness, then, is fear; _uncontrolled_ fear.

"Fear is not itself a weakness. It heightens our awareness, brings us caution, allows us to take in more information so that we may better act to preserve ourselves. But fear without control leads us to act impulsively, irrationally, drives us into anger and from uncontrolled anger into rage and hate. And hate is what feeds the Dark Side."

He spread his hands as he went on. "The Force is alive. The Force _is_ life, and through it, all life is connected. Nothing thrives in complete isolation. Nothing becomes strong purely on its own. The Dark Side, then, _is_ selfishness. It has a seductive call, disguises itself as gain, but really it is loss. Loss of control; loss of morality; loss of _humanity_. The Dark Side does not give; it takes. It takes compassion, takes concern for anyone but one's own self, and leaves… nothing.

"Darkness is not a servant or a partner," he said with an emphatic dismissive wave. "Darkness is an insidious master that goads you into willingly surrendering yourself to slavery disguised as freedom. It stokes your own fear of losing control, whispers to you that the only way you can escape being controlled by others is to abandon your control over yourself. It gives you the illusion of power to keep you from realizing how completely you have surrendered yourself to it, how completely it now controls you."

Anakin paused for a moment, bringing up his left hand, and he raised one finger. "You do not wield the Dark Side; the Dark Side wields _you_." He lowered his hand to the center of his chest. "All my life, the more full of darkness I have become, the more empty I have felt. The more I sank into it, the more I used the Dark Side to keep others from controlling me, the tighter I pulled its leash around my own neck."

He opened his hand, holding it to one side. "And that is why my thoughts on balance were wrong: the Dark Side is not half of a whole - it is a perversion of the whole. It began with those who first tried to use the Force selfishly, without truly understanding it, and the infection fed on them and all those after them who were similarly tempted into darkness."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Pyrron said skeptically.

"It is the same thing you have done," Anakin replied. He extended his arm to point at the Burned Lord. "You've made another perversion, another sickness of the Force. You do not truly understand the Force, and your madness has twisted your connection to it, the strength it naturally gives you, into an aberration, an abomination. You call us parasites? _You_ are spreading a disease."

Pyrron sneered. "And your so-called Light Side is the cure?" he said derisively.

"Yes," Anakin said simply. "This is what my family and their… _my_ allies have helped me to understand. Those steeped in the Dark Side are destroyed by your Fire because they are already so weak from their own corruption that they cannot use the Force, the _true_ Force, to defend against it."

He walked a few steps to the side to stand next to Jenn, and he placed his left hand on her shoulder. Though she stood silent, sweating and shaking with the effort of defending herself, she met his gaze. "Now I finally understand why Master Talmak is able to resist you so successfully," he said to Pyrron. "It is because she understands the Force. Perhaps not completely on a conscious level, but even if only by instinct, she understands the Force as it truly is.

"Twice she has lost her connection with the Force, twice has she regained it, and each time she has returned stronger, with greater understanding of the Force and all its aspects. This, I believe, is why she has always been able to resist the Dark Side: she knows it for what it is, an infection, and she fights it like all living things fight disease."

Leaving his hand on Jenn's shoulder, Anakin looked back over at Pyrron. "When you attacked her with your power, Talmak understood, by her instinctual connection to the Force, how to make herself and those with her immune. In sharing her strength with others, she made them and herself collectively stronger than they all were alone. That was and is her destiny."

He moved over to stand between Luke and Mara, and placed his hands on their shoulders. "This is why all those strong with the Force - the true, _pure_ Force - are able to resist your Fire to such a degree," said Anakin. "What you call your Fire is based on seizing power from others and giving nothing back. The Force is shared by all living things, is used by my family and their new Jedi Order to _share_ power, to work together in harmony so that all are in turn strengthened by all. _That_ is what it means to be guardians of peace and justice. _That_ is their destiny."

Anakin straightened, finally realizing the truth. "Only now do I understand my own destiny, what I am truly meant to do." He dropped his hands from Luke and Mara's shoulders and took another step forward. "I am meant to work with all those here, and indeed with all who share the Force, to cleanse the Force of its sickness."

He extended his hand. "It was not too late for me. It is not too late for you."

"Stop this," said Luke. "Give up this mad crusade. Let go of your hate."

"No!" Pyrron spat, igniting both his blades again with a double shriek of activation. "I refuse to listen to this. You are wrong! You merely rationalize your own weakness and unworthiness. _Mine _is the true strength, and I will prove it by destroying all of you!"

Behind Anakin, Jenn let out a strained, humorless laugh. "That's… what this is… down to, then," she said, her voice taut with exertion. "The true definition… of strength."

Pyrron raised his shining scarlet blades, his eyes glowing with power. "So it is."

* * *

><p>At the entrance to the intake complex, the cultists there fell still again as their master drew their power into himself.<p>

Ben looked up as Revan turned from his now immobile opponent and descended a step, facing out into the complex. The Jedi Master deactivated his dual blades, then clipped them to his belt. Next, he reached up to remove his mask.

"A teacher of mine told me something once," Revan said as he tucked the mask into a pocket of his outer robe. He reached up with both hands to lower his hood. "I didn't quite understand it at the time, and now I finally realize she didn't, either." He frowned. "Now I know she told me this in her attempt to turn me to the Dark Side, because she hated the Force, because she did not understand it and wanted, ultimately, to destroy it. But still, what she told me had the ring of truth. At the time, I misunderstood the truth in it, and let myself be swallowed by the Dark Side, let myself step off the solid path and into the sucking, miry mud because I thought I was doing the right thing.

"But I did not understand. My greatest mistake came from seeing truth but not understanding it. Only here, only now, do _I_ understand."

"What did she tell you?" Ben asked curiously.

Revan looked over at him, his dark eyes filled with sudden comprehension bordering on epiphany. "She told me of another, older version of the Jedi Code, one that made its true meaning more clear. Now I understand where the old Jedi went wrong, how despite having the best intentions, the true, honest desire to maintain peace and justice in the galaxy, they gradually lost their way, and left themselves vulnerable to the darkness."

He gestured with one hand down to where Ben's grandfather stood atop the _Millennium Falcon_, preparing for his imminent combat with Pyrron. "Your grandfather, too, saw truth but misunderstood it, misinterpreted truth as I did. But now, because of him, I understand what true balance is."

Next to Ben, his cousin Anakin straightened, looking up at the Jedi Master. "Please, tell us!"

Revan smiled. "I'll do better than that. I'll _show_ you."

The Jedi Master reached out into the Force then, using the connection between himself and the other Jedi, between himself and all others who could hear him, between himself and all life, and asked for help.

As the answers came, as all those who could hear Revan's call joined with him in lending their strength to Anakin Skywalker, Ben saw it. It was as if the last veil between him and understanding fell away, and he finally consciously realized something he had, on some level, known all along.

He spoke, giving voice to words he heard through the Force:

"_Emotion, yet peace._"

* * *

><p>In his seat in the cockpit of the commandos' dropship, Jacen tuned out all other distractions, closed his eyes to the raging battle outside, and turned his focus inward, to the power within himself that bound him to the galaxy around him.<p>

"_Ignorance, yet knowledge."_

* * *

><p>In Jaina's fighter, she, Qeris and Ami also shared the link, stilling the turbulence of the battle to focus on doing their part.<p>

"_Passion, yet serenity_."

* * *

><p>In her seat aboard the <em>Phoenix<em>, Leia sought calm, that singularly important factor in keeping so many minds, so many individuals with their own fears, desires, and dreams all working together for a common purpose.

"_Chaos, yet harmony._"

* * *

><p>Atop the <em>Millennium Falcon<em>, Anakin Skywalker reached out to his allies, accepted their power even as Pyrron stole others' power for himself.

Directly behind him to one side, he felt Luke, who had become the man Anakin knew he should have been, in spite or perhaps even because of his father.

His other son, the boy he had found and, in his grief, adopted in place of the child he thought had been taken from him, had become _too_ much like his adopted 'father', and had been consumed and destroyed by his rage.

At his other side, he felt Mara, the girl he had found and similarly raised as his own daughter. Though her path had been troubled - in no small part due to his influence - she had also found her sure footing, the place she was meant to stand.

And Leia, who was here not in presence but in spirit, had found her way by his example, even if by avoiding it.

All four of his children, Anakin realized, those of his blood and those he had chosen, had defined themselves at some point through their hatred of him. Only those who had given up that hate had survived, had found their true freedom and become who they were truly meant to be.

And so it must be with him, he resolved. He would not let himself be defined by his hatred anymore. He would never let his anger or his fear control him again. Within his mind, he sought out his greatest fear, his most unhealthy obsession, and finally let it go.

Now he understood what balance truly meant. He had been partially right, he realized; balance was indeed the key. But it was not balance between light and darkness which led to true strength. Abandoning oneself to rage and hatred and only later trying to bring oneself back under control was ultimately fruitless, and merely meant sinking into the mire a little more slowly than if one heedlessly leaped in headfirst. Both paths led to the same destination.

Power was a means, he knew, not an end. True strength, _true_ balance lay in knowing the right way to use the power one had. Abandoning all control merely made one a slave to power, not its master. Trying to force others to one's own will, in the end, merely left one alone. Alone, one was nothing.

Realizing this - or rather, finally accepting it - broke the last shadowed shackle around his heart.

For the first time in his life, Anakin Skywalker felt truly free.

"_Death, yet the Force."_

Pyrron attacked with the power of thousands.

With the strength of thousands, Anakin met him.

* * *

><p>The combat in this, the deciding moment, is titanic.<p>

No other word is fitting, for the Burned Lord Pyrron and Anakin Skywalker are, here at the end, nothing less than titans.

They fight, on the surface, with blades, one against the other. But in truth, these two men are in this moment more than men, and they fight with the strength and power of armies. Numbers beyond count fight through the bodies, the hands, the blades of two.

This moment, their duel, lasts both minutes and all of eternity. Both may die, for the future is always in motion, but one thing that is absolutely certain is that this day will not end with both of them alive.

The duel quickly leaves the upper hull of the _Millennium Falcon_. As they move around the network of catwalks and platforms circling the complex, they cross blades again and again in a myriad of variations, dodge and leap through the air as they jockey for position, as they struggle to find the place of greatest advantage.

Anakin Skywalker has a mastery of skill earned through a lifetime of experience.

The Burned Lord Pyrron has sheer, uncontrolled rage. In a sense, he _is_ rage. He is blind anger and mindless hatred personified.

In time, the battle seems to turn in his favor. Pyrron drives Skywalker back, though Skywalker fights him fiercely for every meter of lost ground. He even succeeds in twisting one of Pyrron's lightsabers from his hand, where it tumbles over the side of the walkway and is lost.

But this does not stop him. The Burned Lord fights on even more viciously with his single remaining weapon. He continues to drive Skywalker back.

At a platform near the middle of the great circular chamber, near the glowing, flowing, fiery pillar of the plasma stream, Pyrron springs the trap he has been setting. He devotes all his concentration, all his power, into swinging his stolen scarlet blade with all his strength.

Skywalker sees the blade's arc, calculates its trajectory in his head as he has done so many times that it is now an almost purely reflexive action, and angles his own steel-gray blade to defend himself.

He is successful; he deflects his opponent's blade aside, where it slashes harmlessly into the platform's railing.

But this was exactly what Pyrron wanted him to do.

The Burned Lord's blade is now at an angle, close to contact with Skywalker's lightsaber. He rolls his wrist and forearm, dragging the searing, weightless blade _through_ the metal bar of the railing, then circling up and around in a slash at Skywalker's hands.

Whether it is a miscalculation, the effect of the station shuddering around them, or merely a momentary failing of overworked muscles, Skywalker moves just a hair too slowly in countering the blow.

Pyrron's blade slashes through the back of Skywalker's mechanical right hand, completely taking off his first finger, the upper edge of his hand, and part of his lightsaber along with it. The very tip of the red blade scores Skywalker's forearm a few centimeters above his wrist, and partially cuts into his thumb, as well.

As his steel-gray blade flickers out, Skywalker, thinking quickly, raises his arm and sends the sparks now spraying from his damaged cybernetic hand up into Pyrron's face. The Burned Lord reflexively turns his scarred, tattooed head aside, but only for an instant.

If Skywalker was alone, his end would now be inevitable. But he is not alone.

Far away, across the chamber, the sons of Skywalker's children take action. With the Force, Ben Skywalker and Anakin Solo take hold of the weapon their grandfather gave to Ben and send it rocketing across the kilometer-wide complex at great speed, almost too fast to see.

Skywalker's Jedi weapon drops unerringly into its original owner's hand. He ignites the sky-blue blade, shifting his grip to compensate for his missing finger, and goes on the offensive. He fights now not for himself, but for those he loves, and this gives him strength he has never had before.

Pyrron has missed his only moment of opportunity, and he knows it. Still, he fights on, swinging and slashing with a berserk fury. The two men exchange a dazzling cycle of strikes, the light from their blades throwing a frenzied dance of shadows across their faces, but it is clear the elder Skywalker now has the upper hand.

The end is here.

* * *

><p>Anakin Skywalker charged forward, grabbed hold of the railing with his left hand, and smashed Pyrron's blade aside with his own weapon. He twisted his wrist as he had a hundred, a thousand times before and, with all the strength he had left, drove the shining sapphire blade straight through the Burned Lord's heart.<p>

But Pyrron had one last move to make.

Mortally wounded, he dropped his weapon and grabbed hold of Anakin's forearm with both hands, then hurled himself over the railing, his momentum pulling Anakin over with him.

Time almost seemed to slow as they tumbled over the edge of the catwalk and into the long drop below. Anakin knew in that moment that he was about to die, but he felt no sadness or anger. He accepted that he had done what he was meant to do, and had destroyed the last great threat to his galaxy.

But even as he let himself fall, Anakin felt a hand take hold of his left wrist, and his momentum was suddenly halted.

He looked down to see Pyrron slip off of his still-active lightsaber blade. The Burned Lord laughed as he fell; wild, manic laughter echoed from the walls of the huge chamber right up until the moment when Pyrron was sucked into the glowing plasma intake and vanished in a huge blast of flame.

Anakin watched him go, and sensed it in the Force when the Burned Lord died, reduced to complete nothingness by the fire.

As he let his lightsaber go out, he looked up to see who had caught him, and saw Mara hanging halfway off the platform beneath the railing, holding onto his left wrist with her right hand, her left hand open and reaching out to him. Above her, Anakin could see Luke, who held the back of Mara's belt with one hand and had his other arm wrapped around the railing, bracing himself against a railing post with his feet.

"You're not getting off that easy," Mara said, beckoning Anakin to take her other hand. "If I had to fight my way back, so do you."

He knew she was right. For the second time that day, Anakin took his adopted daughter's hand and let her pull him back from the brink.

When they were both securely back up on solid ground, he rolled over and just lay there on the metal grating for a few moments, utterly spent. He listened to the succession of descending hums as someone deactivated the plasma stream, thinking it to be the sweetest sound he had ever heard. He looked up at the faces gathered around him, the other Jedi, his grandsons, and saw their approving smiles, but finally he focused on the face of his son.

Luke smiled down at him. "You saved us."

Anakin smiled back, then reached over with his left arm to where Luke held Mara's hand, and placed his hand on theirs. "No," he said in a tired whisper. "You saved me."

They sat there in exhausted relief for a moment, until they heard the whining rumble of starship engines. Anakin looked over to see the _Millennium Falcon_ slowly hover up beside them, its boarding ramp already open and lowering. Behind it, the last trickles of plasma slowly flowed back out of the station, leaving the broad intake complex in darkness except for the _Falcon_'s running lights.

Han Solo stood at the base of the ramp, holding onto one of the supports with one hand as it settled into position. "Well?" he inquired impatiently as he looked over the group. "You guys want to get out of here or what?"

* * *

><p>-\-

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Apologies for the slight delay, but I wanted to put a little extra polish into this chapter before finally posting it. Hopefully it was worth it. ;P<p>

One more full chapter and the epilogue remain. Thanks to hairyhen for beta reading. Till next time, thanks for reading!


	41. Home

-/\-

* * *

><p><strong>Forty-One<strong>  
>(Home)<p>

Aboard the _Phoenix_, Leia was the first to notice that the stream of plasma stretching up into the Star Forge from the system's sun had begun to reverse direction.

Triumphantly, she reached over to her comm panel. "Thrawn, the shield is about to come down. Prepare to fire."

"_Target locked_," Thrawn replied evenly.

As they waited, Leia noticed something strange: some of the enemy ships were beginning to stir again, their engines glowing as they started moving, settling into organized formations once more. Curious, she reached out through the Force.

"_We're getting some odd sensor readings,_" Thrawn said a moment later. "_A number of systems aboard the Star Forge seem to be powering up, including the factories, and, strangest of all, the other two plasma intakes._"

"Pyrron's dead," Leia said, confused. "Who's turning things back on?"

But even as she spoke, she realized what was happening, and felt the blood drain from her face. Her hand went to the comm panel again, hailing her husband's ship. "Han, you really need to get that shield down," she urged.

"_Yeah, I know,_" he replied shortly. "_Pyrron's dead. What's the big hurry?_"

"It's the Star Forge!" Leia exclaimed. "It's turning _itself_ back on, and it's starting to take control of the ships it manufactured. Maybe even the crews, too."

"_What are you saying, it's alive or something?_" Han said skeptically.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!"

"_She's right, Han_," Revan said, his voice slightly muffled by his distance from the microphone in the _Falcon_'s cockpit. "_I can sense it, too._"

"_Can you get to the master control room?_" Thrawn asked.

"_No time,"_ Revan replied. "_The shield will be down before the plasma intakes can come back on. Stick with the plan and destroy the station once we're clear._"

"_No, the plasma intakes are already powering up,_" Thrawn said. "_Commander Solo, have you detonated the charges your teams planted in the intake complexes?_"

"_Not yet,_" Jacen replied, "_but I'll do it right now._"

Leia watched as the slowly falling tendril of plasma - deceptively thin-looking from this distance - slowly halted its descent back into the sun and began to rise up toward the station again. But even as it did, bright plumes of fire bloomed out from the base of the station's three lower pylons.

More and more enemy ships began to move again. Some even started firing, though the bolts blazed out randomly rather than in any sort of pattern. Leia sensed a great tide of anger, almost a mind on the edge of consciousness, unable to speak or even think in the way she knew. Just… rage.

The huge translucent oval of the shield around the Star Forge began to flicker, patches of it randomly disappearing for a moment before reappearing. Leia saw several fireballs down near the base of the station, as if ships had run into the shield from the inside, and her heart leaped into her throat for a moment before another transmission came in.

"_We're clear, but we've got fighters on our tail!_" Han shouted, voice taut with effort. "_Blow it, blow it!"_

"_All ships, clear vector,_" Thrawn said calmly. "_Firing in three… two… one."_

Once again, the eight green beams of the Death Star's superlaser surged out from the array, angling into an immense skeletal cone before joining together into a huge ray of pure destructive power. The blast radiated out from the _Phoenix_ to the looming bronze shape of the Star Forge, flying inexorably through the void.

For a moment, just a moment, it seemed as if the leading edge of the beam was about to strike the still-flickering shield, but just as the blast reached the station, the shield disappeared.

A massive explosion erupted out of the impact area, secondary explosions ripping through the rest of the station, until finally, the Star Forge tore apart in a cataclysmic nova of fire and debris, a momentary imitation of the great fiery stellar furnace below.

Leia sank back in her chair with a long, wordless sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Outside, Jaina let her fighter coast along on its own for a moment as she too sank back in her seat with a relieved sigh. Qeris remained characteristically calm, but Ami's jubilant whoop was painfully loud in Jaina's helmet comm.<p>

Finally, the fight was over. Finally, she could stop taking lives, stop wondering each time if she was justified in doing so. This war… the things she had seen done, the things she had had to do herself… She found her inward jubilation soured by the nagging of her conscience.

She sighed again, a bit sadly this time, and resumed her course for the station.

* * *

><p>As Colonel Fel's squadrons surrounded the <em>Falcon<em>, Jaina's fighter, and Jacen's dropship, escorting them back to the _Phoenix,_ Fel grinned as he saw the Star Forge destroyed. He allowed his pilots their moment of undisciplined cheering, though he did not personally join in.

However, Fel's grin slowly faded as he saw the phalanx of Chiss warships parallel his group's vector. There was nothing particularly alarming about this, as most of the allied ships were heading for the Death Star, but something about the angle of their vessels made Fel uneasy.

* * *

><p>Leia allowed herself the luxury of just sitting in her chair for a few moments, watching the explosion outside slowly fade away.<p>

She heard the main doors whoosh open behind her, and turned to see Thrawn enter the throne room, an ysalamir perched on his shoulders in a portable nutrient frame. Initially, as she rose from her chair, Leia paid this no mind, as the Grand Admiral had recently taken to keeping one of the creatures nearby at all times.

"Congratulations, Admiral," Leia called down to him as she descended the stairs. "It's finally over."

Thrawn looked back at her with a completely inscrutable expression, his hands clasped behind his back. "Not quite."

Simultaneously, the other two entrances to the throne room opened and four stormtroopers wearing similar nutrient frames stepped in, accompanied by two dozen more white-armored troops. Only a moment later, Ensign Thrien and another dozen troopers filed in through the entrance Thrawn had used. All of them bore the black-fist sigil of Vanguard Fleet on their pauldrons; as far as Leia could tell, not a single one of Jacen's Phoenix Fleet troopers was among their number.

Leia snatched her lightsaber from her belt and ignited the blue blade. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded as the troops marched towards her, weapons held across their chests - for now.

"Ensign, go to the control board and initiate the emergency lockdown," Thrawn said to his gray-uniformed aide, his eyes not leaving Leia's face.

"Yes, Admiral," said Thrien, and she quickly walked past him, headed to the consoles which flanked the command chair at the top of the staircase.

Leia extended her arm, blocking the young Chiss woman's path with her blade. "Explain yourself, Admiral," she said frostily, enunciating each syllable precisely. "What are you doing?"

Thrawn fractionally raised one eyebrow. "I should think it would be rather obvious," he said mildly.

Leia did not move. When Thrien started to edge around her, Leia turned her wrist without looking away from Thrawn, bringing the edge of her blade just under the ensign's chin.

She put every micron of the righteous indignation welling up inside her into one word: "Why?"

Thrawn took a step closer, languidly bringing up one hand to stroke the head of the ysalamir perched on his shoulders. "Because a weapon like this is wasted in the hands of the Republic," he said. "I know you, _Jedi_," he spat with uncharacteristic vehemence. "Now that the war is over and this Death Star is no longer needed for the cause, you will disarm it, decommission it, or possibly even destroy it. And that is something I will not allow. There are too many other threats against my people, including your Republic."

"You think I'll just let you take it?" Leia said with furious calm.

"You are greatly mistaken if you think you have any chance against this many men without your powers," Thrawn replied, slowly rubbing the tip of one finger along the underside of the ysalamir's jaw. "You may be able to stop a few bolts, but not all of them. Even you must know when you are out-maneuvered."

Leia knew he was right. Her face an expressionless mask, she finally lowered her lightsaber and let the blade go out.

Thrawn smirked slightly and gestured briefly with two fingers. Ensign Thrien snatched the lightsaber out of Leia's hand, then walked to the back of the room and hurried up the staircase. Several stormtroopers moved to surround Leia, their weapons raised.

"Admiral, I can't find the override," Thrien reported after a few moments of looking over the console.

Leia knew the actual button was beneath the surface of the console, only reachable with the Force, but she had no intention of telling them that.

"It is of little consequence," Thrawn said, heading for the command balcony. "Our troops are in position at the majority of the vital systems anyway."

A flashing light activated on the console. "Admiral, the _Millennium Falcon_ is hailing us," Thrien reported, looking at one of the screens.

"Put it through," Thrawn said as he ascended the stairs to the throne platform.

"_Hey,_" Han said impatiently. "_There some reason you haven't given us docking clearance yet? I've got wounded here._"

Thrawn quickly shrugged out of the nutrient frame and placed it on the back of the command chair. He reached down to the comm panel with one hand and toggled it. "Control room, target all turbolaser batteries in range on the _Millennium Falcon_. Hold fire until my order."

"_What the hell?!_" Han spluttered. "_What are you doing?_"

Thrawn calmly finished securing the nutrient frame to the command chair, then sat down. "Give me fleet-wide," he ordered.

Ensign Thrien worked at the console briefly, then looked over at him. "Channel open."

"This is Grand Admiral Thrawn," he began. "I am taking control of this battle station. Any resistance will be immediately met with lethal force. Any ship which does not stand down and surrender unconditionally in the next three minutes will be destroyed."

"Several ships are hailing," Thrien called out. "Including _Executor_."

Thrawn gestured with two fingers, and she put it through.

"Phoenix, _this is _Executor," said Admiral Piett. "_Request clarification of orders, sir."_

"Stand down and wait for further orders," Thrawn replied brusquely. "_Phoenix_ out."

"Phoenix,_ this is Jedi Knight Jaina Solo._"

Thrawn frowned. "I didn't authorize you to put her through."

"I didn't," Ensign Thrien replied. "She's overriding the system somehow."

"_My brother and I aren't stupid, Admiral,_" Jaina said crisply. "_We also believe in preparing for all conceivable eventualities. That would be why the two of us examined the plans for this battle station in case, well… something like this happened._"

Thrawn gestured again, and the ensign began working at the console. "I have already changed the command codes for the central systems," the Grand Admiral said. "Particularly the main weapon. Further, I currently hold Master Organa Solo prisoner, and if you do not surrender immediately, I will execute her on the spot."

"_How about a counteroffer?_" Jaina replied, her tone still calm, but with a steely edge beneath it. "_If _you_ don't surrender immediately, I'll exploit the weakness my brother and I found and blow this station right out of the sky."_

Thrawn's face twisted into a disdainful cultured sneer. "I assume you are referring to the secondary thermal exhaust port?"

"_You've done your homework, too, I see,_" Jaina replied. "_I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you managed to access the technical readouts somehow._"

"I believe preparation can win a battle before I fire a single shot," Thrawn said. "And because I have studied the technical readouts of this station, I know just how improbable it is that you could hit a target that small, particularly at the right angle to actually get a torpedo into the shaft and start a chain reaction. If you were going to bluff, you should have picked something more credible."

"_I am a Jedi Knight flying a state-of-the-art starfighter,"_ said Jaina, some fire now joining the steel in her voice. "_You know what my ship can do, and you know what _I_ can do. Believe me when I say I am _not_ bluffing. I can and will destroy the _Phoenix_, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."_

Thrawn's brows rose skeptically. "You, a Jedi, would kill everyone aboard this station? Including your mother?"

"_To keep _you_ from taking control of a weapon like this?_" Jaina said. "_Absolutely."_

"I do not believe you," said Thrawn. "You would never do such a thing."

Though Leia could not see her daughter's face, nor sense her through the Force at the moment, she heard the unwavering resolve and absolute conviction in Jaina's voice.

"_I have had far too much of war, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I know what you could do with the _Phoenix_, and I will do _whatever_ is necessary to stop you. If that means destroying this battle station along with you and everyone else aboard, including my mother… I'll do it. I _will not_ let you turn this weapon on my home, not after I've fought so hard to save it."_

Thrawn did not reply for a long, tense moment, his glowing red eyes fixed on Leia. She looked back at him unflinchingly, silently reinforcing what her daughter had said. If she had to die to spare the already-weary galaxy this man's depredations, then so be it.

Another long second ticked by.

And another.

And another.

Finally Ensign Thrien broke the silence. "Admiral?" she asked a trifle nervously. "Orders, sir?"

Thrawn remained silent another long moment, but finally he spoke. "I know when I am… out-maneuvered," he said softly. "All troops, stand down."

The troopers around Leia lowered their weapons, but she spared them only the briefest of glances before she ascended the staircase to the control console and stopped next to Thrien, giving the young woman a frigid stare.

Thrien wordlessly held up Leia's lightsaber. Leia took it from her slightly more quickly than was necessary, then continued to stare until the ensign stepped several paces back.

Rather pointedly keeping her lightsaber in one hand, Leia quickly worked at the control console. "Docking Control, bring the _Millennium Falcon_ and the ships escorting her aboard, please," she ordered.

She stepped away from the console and turned to the rear of the balcony. "As for you," she said to Thrawn as she walked a few steps closer, "I should kill you."

"But you won't," he replied, not moving from the command chair.

"I won't," Leia agreed mildly. "In fact, I'm going to do something I'll probably regret later." She stopped next to the chair's platform, her eyes level with his. "The truth of it is, even despite… this… we still wouldn't have won this war without you. And for that reason, I'm going to spare you."

"Hardly surprising, Jedi," Thrawn replied.

"Further, I'm going to let you go," Leia went on. "All the way back to Chiss space, or the Empire, if they'll take you." She leaned slightly closer. "But if you _ever_ show your face in the Republic again, I promise you I will not be so merciful. And I _will_ be watching."

"I… thank you for your leniency, Master Organa Solo," Thrawn said, standing.

"You're welcome," Leia said, stepping up next to him. "Now get out."

* * *

><p>In the docking bay, Anakin Solo paused as, ahead of him, his grandfather suddenly stopped. Curious, Anakin stepped forward to his grandfather's side and followed his gaze to the entrance to the hangar.<p>

Accompanied by his gray-uniformed aide and two platoons of Vanguard Fleet stormtroopers, Grand Admiral Thrawn walked into the huge, starkly lit docking bay, his head held high as he headed for one of the shuttles. Without missing a step, Thrawn glanced over at Anakin's grandfather with a look of withering contempt, not even a hint of apology in his eyes.

Anakin Skywalker, for his part, merely gave his former comrade a cold stare and also said nothing. When Thrawn broke eye contact and turned to board his shuttle, the elder Skywalker turned away in equally wordless silence and continued on toward the entrance.

Though the others were only a few steps behind them, the two Anakins walked together at the front of the procession. After a few moments, they reached a turbolift, and the elder Anakin reached out to push the call button with his left hand, still holding his damaged right arm at his side.

"Are you okay?" the younger Anakin asked.

His grandfather said nothing for a moment, but his expression hardened slightly. "His choices were… unfortunate," he said tautly. "I did not expect him to betray me… _us_ like this."

"It was his choice," said the younger Anakin. "He showed who he really was." He looked up at his grandfather. "When it comes down to it, we can't really make choices for other people. All we can do is try to show them the right thing to do, or at least what we want them to do, and then it's up to them whether to agree with us or not. We can try to persuade them, but sometimes we just have to let other people get the consequences for their own actions."

The elder Anakin turned his head to look down at him. "A surprisingly wise observation… for one so young."

The younger Anakin shrugged and smiled. "Everyone has to grow up sometime."

He'd meant it in a light-hearted way, but his grandfather nodded solemnly. "Even if some of us take far too long," he said quietly.

The younger Anakin reached up to touch his grandfather's shoulder. "You did the right thing today," he said with equal solemnity. He smiled. "I'm proud of you. Proud to have your name."

The elder Anakin smiled back as the turbolift finally arrived and the doors opened. "I am proud that you bear it."

* * *

><p>Later, in the <em>Phoenix<em>'s main med-center, Jenn had just emerged from a bacta tank and was tightening the sash of her white dressing gown as the doors opened nearby. Revan walked in, holding a bundle of clothes in her preferred colors and style under one arm, her boots in his other hand.

While she had been in the tank, he had changed into a fresh set of his own usual clothes, combed his hair and beard, and otherwise now looked like a textbook example of a Jedi Master, as opposed to someone who had just fought a horrendous battle.

"Why is it," Jenn asked him as she toweled off her hair, "that despite the fact that we go through roughly the same kind of adventures, it doesn't seem to have the same effect on you as it does on me?"

"What, ending up looking like a drowned rodent?" Revan said playfully, holding out her clothes.

Jenn gave him a mock frown as she snatched the bundle out of his hands and tossed it onto a chair behind the nearby privacy screen, then laughed at his theatrically wounded expression. After only a moment, he laughed as well.

Revan's grin slowly faded, and Jenn could tell even without following his gaze that he was looking at the upper edge of her burn scars, visible at the collar of her dressing gown. Jenn's own smile faded as she stepped behind the privacy screen to dress and removed her gown.

She looked down at herself. Dressed as she was in only the brief tank top and shorts she had worn in the bacta tank, her scars were all visible; her entire left arm, shoulder, and a few centimeters of her neck were streaked with burn patterns. At her midriff, the scars covered almost her entire left side from her spine to her navel. The worst of the damage had been healed by bacta and her own efforts during healing trances, but there were still traces that would never fade completely.

"There are… probably things that can be done," Revan said softly. "To get rid of those."

Jenn shook her head as she picked up her dark blue trousers. "I spent ten years trying to get rid of my scars after Malachor," she said as she stepped into the legs. "It was a waste of time. Everything I've been through… it's what made me who I am. No point in trying to run from it. I accept it and move on."

"An excellent goal," Revan said evenly.

Jenn sighed lightly as she pulled her layered blue tunic over her head. "The thing is about a goal like that, you're never quite done. You can either find that frustrating or reassuring." She shrugged. "I choose to find it reassuring; it gives me something to work for." She pushed the folding screen aside, then smirked lightly at her friend as she tugged the tunic into place and fastened her belt over it. "Something to stay humble about."

Revan raised an eyebrow in equal humor. "What makes me so great is that I'm so humble."

"Oh, is that what it is?" Jenn said dryly. She let the humor fade from her expression as she sat down to put on her boots and looked across the med-center to the bacta tank where Anakin Skywalker still floated, his eyes closed. "So… what do we do about him?"

Revan looked over his shoulder at the man. "I came back from the Dark Side," he said with a slight shrug, looking back at her. "It wasn't easy, but I did it. If he's really sincere about this… I'll help him do the same. It's… not really something you can do alone."

Jenn smiled as she stood. "It's good to have people you can count on."

He smiled back.

She reached up to clap his shoulder. "Come on," she said. "I hear Han Solo found the Empress' private stash of Corellian brandy, the _really_ good stuff."

Revan raised his brows appreciatively as they left.

* * *

><p>As they exited a turbolift, Jacen and Qeris were stopped in the hallway by two of Phoenix Fleet's admirals, Downes and Kellig.<p>

"Do you have a moment, sir?" Downes asked.

Jacen could tell by both men's expressions that this was serious, so he nodded once and gestured to the nearest door, which led to a currently unoccupied mess hall. Inside, Jacen sat down at one of the broad gray tables and the two admirals sat on the other side, while Qeris remained standing behind Jacen and to his left at parade rest, her hands clasped behind her back beneath her dark red cloak.

"It's about the _Phoenix_, Commander," Kellig began.

"Did we take any serious damage in the battle?" Jacen asked.

"Nothing irreparable," Downes answered. "No, instead, we have a… request."

"You want to take the station back to your universe," Jacen said knowingly.

Kellig's brows rose in surprise. "Yes, actually."

Jacen nodded. "I expected this, especially after what Thrawn did."

"The Death Star is too powerful a weapon," said Downes. "In your universe, there are no weapons on this scale, no technology capable of instantly destroying a planet. Though the _Phoenix_ was instrumental in the war, it's now a threat to your galaxy. In peacetime, it would be impossible for our fleet to remain independent."

"Every would-be conqueror in the galaxy is probably already scheming how to take it from us," Qeris said. "If we turn it over to the Empire, the Republic will object. If we turn it over to the Republic, the Empire will object, and then try to build one of their own."

"It will lead to an arms race which will only lead to another war," Kellig said with a grim nod. "Relations between your Empire and Republic are strained enough as it is because of your new Chancellor." He paused. "No, it's better if we just remove it from the equation altogether."

"We've seen your Republic," Downes continued. He too paused, looking down at the table for a moment. "And we have seen your Empire as led by Lord Fel. Your galaxy has shown us what ours could be."

Kellig looked across the table at Jacen. "Come with us," he urged. "Though you are young, you have already demonstrated yourself to be a capable leader. You would make an excellent Emperor. Many people would flock to our cause with you in command of Phoenix Fleet."

Jacen shook his head lightly. "No, my place is here. I belong in this galaxy. But if you truly mean to make yours a better place, the people of your universe will follow you even without me." He stood. "I thank you for helping me to make my home safe again. I wish you success in doing the same for yours."

"Thank you, Commander," Downes said as he also stood. "For everything you've done for us."

"What are your immediate plans?" Qeris asked.

"First, we plan to destroy the second Star Forge's counterpart in our universe, if it still exists," Kellig answered. "But rest assured, we will also destroy the transition device and all files pertaining to it. Our universes will once again go their separate ways."

Jacen nodded once in acceptance of this and extended his hand across the table. "It was an honor to serve with you, gentlemen."

"Thank you, Commander," Kellig said as he shook Jacen's hand. "The honor was ours."

* * *

><p>At Belkadan, Malysa Kolos stood before the forward viewports in the bridge of the <em>Eclipse<em>, surveying the tangled mass of wreckage and now-inactive ships scattered at the edge of the system. Though the tens of thousands of Burned vessels had gone dormant and so far remained that way, she found their silence somehow even more chilling. Various expeditionary teams continued to confirm that the Burned had all entered an odd sort of catatonic stillness, from which they showed no signs of waking.

What to do with all of the survivors was a puzzle that would not be easily solved. That went double for their warships; she had seen the way the Imperial crewmen kept eyeing their Republic counterparts uneasily, as if neither side was willing to broach the question of what was to be done with such a huge fleet now ripe for the taking. It was threatening to turn into the _Katana_ mess all over again.

Just because the battle was over, Malysa mused sourly, it didn't mean all their problems had been solved. But when was that ever different?

"Since this system is secluded and uninhabited," Emperor Fel said somewhere behind her, "I propose we keep the Burned fleet contained here for now - with a joint task force, naturally. The next few weeks are going to be… busy for the Republic, and the last thing we need is some pirate or would-be warlord making off with these ships if your fleet is recalled."

"I agree, Lord Fel," said Admiral Ackbar. As the two commanders walked up to the viewports, he glanced sidelong at Malysa. "If we finalize the arrangements before we regain communications with Alderaan, I believe I may be able to convince the Chancellor to authorize the operation."

At the admiral's other side, Fel frowned. "Your new Chancellor is not going to make recovery from this easy. Forgive my bluntness, but I don't think Fey'lya can be trusted with a fleet like this. I would be much more comfortable if Amidala was back in charge."

"So would a lot of people," Malysa said quietly. She looked over at them. "Leave things to me. I'll clean up the mess." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "Like I usually do."

* * *

><p>Back in the satellite galaxy, Jaina looked over at her father as she entered the <em>Falcon<em>'s cockpit. "Everything set?"

"All ready to go," Han replied, reaching up to adjust a few controls on the overhead console. "Just have to finish the hyperspace calculations."

Beside him, Chewbacca growled a statement, looking out of the viewport at the huge gray sphere of the _Phoenix_ outside.

Han let out a short, wry chuckle. "Yeah, I'm not gonna miss it either," he agreed. "Even if it did help us win the war, it still makes me nervous."

Jaina settled into the seat behind her father, watching as the last few ships got clear. Then, an immense sphere of crackling, interwoven energy gradually surrounded the station, like a cage made of lightning. The _Phoenix_ flickered, seeming to fade in and out for just a brief moment, and then, with a bright flash of white light, it was gone.

"Speaking of things that make me nervous," Han said, turning back to the controls. "Where's Thrawn?"

"He left with the Chiss," Jaina replied. "Some of Vanguard Fleet went with him, back to their bases in the Unknown Regions."

"Big Blue's still here, I see," Han said with a gesture to the _Executor_, several dozen kilometers away outside.

"Admiral Piett says she's Grandfather's ship, not Thrawn's," Jaina said. "What happens to her is up to him."

"What happens to your grandfather is up to a lot of people with very good reason to hold a grudge," said Han. "I'm glad I'm not in his boots."

"I think the Republic has some house-cleaning to do before then," Jaina said, leaning back in her seat. "In fact, it's probably starting right now."

* * *

><p>Indeed, there was a huge scandal in the Republic as the fleet returned from the Battle of Belkadan. Faced with incontrovertible evidence of the threat the Burned had posed to the Republic, the Senate placed Chancellor Fey'lya on suspension pending an impeachment hearing. As the ranking member of the Jedi Council in the Grand Master's absence, Master Kolos was asked to lead the investigation herself.<p>

The evidence was easy to find, and his co-conspirators were all too willing to testify in order to shift the blame from themselves. Only days after the battle, Malysa presented her findings before the Senate.

Standing at a podium on the Senate floor, Malysa looked up into the rotunda. "I have sworn affidavits from the Senators of Kuat, Corellia, Commenor, Ithor, Ryloth, Falleen, Zeltros, and _dozens_ of others that Borsk Fey'lya personally met with them before the treaty vote and presented them with so-called evidence that the Burned cult was a fabrication. Further, he claimed the entire situation was a mass deception organized by Darth Vader, Emperor Fel and the Imperial High Command. Thus persuaded by this alleged evidence, the Senators voted against the treaty of alliance.

"Beyond the clear evidence that his claims were false, a professional examination of the files and images presented as official evidence by Fey'lya has found these files and images to be themselves forgeries, alterations of actual evidence gathered during battles in recent campaigns. Based on my findings, it is my conclusion that then-Senator Fey'lya knowingly and willfully presented falsified evidence and deliberately misled his fellow Senators about the true nature of the Burned cult."

Malysa paused briefly, placing both hands on her podium. "It is therefore my recommendation that Chancellor Fey'lya be immediately removed from office and brought up on criminal charges for his gross misconduct."

There was, naturally, an uproar over this, and several of Fey'lya's supporters protested, but the evidence was damning. An overwhelming majority later voted to impeach Fey'lya, and further, to bring him up on criminal charges and send the case to the Supreme Court. Another vote held shortly afterward restored Padmé Amidala and Winter Celchu to their former offices, and the Senator for Kuat even went so far as to publicly apologize for seconding Fey'lya's motion for a vote of no confidence.

Borsk Fey'lya was arrested and removed from the Senate rotunda in cuffs.

* * *

><p>Later, the newly reinstated Vice-Chancellor paid a visit to the holding cell where Fey'lya would spend his days as he awaited his trial. Winter passed a glance over the cramped, grimy hallway on the way to the cell, wondering how long it had been since there had actually been need for a prisoner to be kept here.<p>

Fey'lya glared at her as she approached, not bothering to rise from the low metal bunk on which he sat, now in an ill-fitting dark blue jumpsuit rather than his preferred robes. "Come to gloat?"

"I should think you know me better than that," Winter replied calmly. She allowed herself a slight disapproving frown. "I should think you would know better about many things."

The Bothan merely scoffed at this, and said nothing.

"No, I haven't come to gloat," Winter went on. "I am here simply because I wish to know… why? Why did you deliberately falsify evidence? Why did you put the entire galaxy at risk when you knew, you _knew_ what was facing us?"

Fey'lya shrugged unapologetically. "I saw an opportunity, and I took it."

Winter didn't bother to hide her disgust. "That's it? You nearly let the Republic be conquered by a madman, just to get yourself behind the Chancellor's podium?"

Fey'lya didn't so much as blink. "Power is everything. With Amidala out of the way, I could have handled the situation properly."

Winter's only reply to this was to look at their surroundings again. She turned to leave, then paused, looking back at him over her shoulder. "There was one other thing I came to ask you."

Fey'lya spread his hands. "I am not going anywhere, it seems."

"Your debate with Trustant A'Kla drew some unexpected attention," Winter said, turning to face him again. "You will of course recall that there has never been a satisfactory explanation for how Caamas' planetary shields came to fail during the siege at the end of the Clone Wars. A man calling himself a 'concerned citizen' contacted New Republic Intelligence, and claims to have one of the last remaining verified copies of a document proving that Palpatine used Bothan agents to sabotage Caamas' defenses. Is there any merit to this accusation?"

Fey'lya's fur flattened in a pattern Winter had never seen on him before, a reaction she knew to be equivalent to the blood draining from a human's face. He simply stared at her with open panic, unable to say anything.

She leaned forward slightly. "It seems you are right," she said, not triumphant but merely appalled. She turned to leave. "You aren't going anywhere."

* * *

><p>As he walked around the <em>Millennium Falcon<em>, which was parked in the private hangar at the Royal Palace, Han frowned to himself and pointed out another damaged component to his towering Wookiee companion. "We're gonna have to replace this entire hull plate, it looks like; too much heat damage. It won't survive another re-entry."

Chewbacca grumbled as he made a note of this on his datapad, then barked a further comment.

Han's brows rose in surprise. "It was?" He looked up at the hull plate again. "How about that."

"How about what, Captain Solo?" drawled a familiar mechanical voice.

Han half-turned to see Bollux sitting on a crate nearby, repairing a damaged servo in one of his legs. "According to Chewie's maintenance records," Han replied, gesturing at his ship, "that hull plate is one of the last remaining factory-original parts on the _Falcon._ She's been through even more overhauls than you, old-timer."

The old labor droid sat up slightly straighter. "We are approximately the same age, I believe. Some would consider us several generations out of date."

Han gave his onetime traveling companion a lopsided grin. "Nah. Things with personality are never obsolete. They just get more interesting."

The faint sounds of an argument drew his attention, and he looked up to see C-3PO hurrying past the entrance to the hangar in a sort of offended shuffle.

A few steps behind him was HK-47, who still had Blue Max slung over his shoulder by the little module's carrying strap. "Puzzled Statement: I do not understand your reaction, protocol droid. You inquired as to my function, and I told you."

"Your description was rather more graphic than I thought necessary," Threepio replied huffily, suddenly stopping to turn and face them. He raised one golden arm to point at them disapprovingly. "And your companion should be ashamed of himself. I've never heard such disgraceful language from a computer."

"Aw, cram it, meatbag," said Max.

Threepio made the electronic equivalent of an agitated splutter. "Well, _really_! How offensive! I am not a 'meat-bag'!"

"You sure act like one," Max scoffed.

"Agreement: Unfortunately true," said HK. "Disappointed Assessment: The quality of automaton programming has sadly declined over the millennia, it seems."

R2-D2, rolling along behind them, hooted a derisive agreement.

"Oh, you stay out of this!" Threepio snapped. He spun again and marched off in a huff.

As they passed on out of earshot, Han looked first at Bollux, who shifted his arms in a mechanical shrug, then at Chewie, who just shook his head and snuffled a quiet laugh.

Han chuckled himself as he went back to work.

* * *

><p>Later in the week, the Senate met in session again. As Ami settled into her seat in the front row of the observers' section along with her family, some of their friends, and several other Jedi, she looked down at the Senate floor, to the figure standing alone next to a small table about a dozen meters in front of the Chancellor's podium.<p>

Anakin Skywalker stood patiently, his posture straight but not military-rigid as it had once been. Instead of his Imperial-style uniform and cloak, he now wore regular civilian clothes of the style usually preferred by Jedi: black trousers and boots, a layered tunic in light and medium gray, and a black hooded outer robe, the inside of the hood and the cuffs of the loose sleeves lined in dark gray. His lightsaber, freshly cleaned and polished, hung from his belt at his side.

It was strange, Ami thought, how different her grandfather looked. It was more than just his clothes, and the way his silver hair and beard were not as closely cropped and trimmed as usual, now worn in a slightly more relaxed style. The tension, the anger, the underlying hostility that had been ever-present in his bearing was now gone. Now he seemed calm, almost at peace, accepting of whatever was about to happen. For the first time, Ami saw how strongly her father resembled him. Or perhaps, now he resembled Luke.

The murmured conversations scattered about the rotunda trailed off into a hush, and everyone stood as Ami's grandmother and the Vice-Chancellor entered the rotunda and took their places at their podium.

"You may be seated," Chancellor Amidala said.

The gathered crowd took their places again, but Ami's grandfather remained standing, his hands clasped behind his back over his outer robe. He looked up at Padmé calmly, not quite expectant but not anxious, either.

"As Chancellor of the Republic, the decision to pardon Anakin Skywalker of his crimes or to send his case to the Supreme Court rests ultimately with me," Padmé began evenly, her 'politician's face' firmly in place. Even through the Force, Ami found it difficult to discern what her grandmother was feeling.

"Over the last several days," Padmé went on, "we have heard a multitude of arguments on this case. A contradictory figure, Anakin Skywalker has done both great and terrible things for this galaxy." Her expression darkened. "He has committed heinous crimes, both ordered and performed horrendous atrocities as a Sith Lord and Emperor. He betrayed the Jedi Order, and personally led the slaughter of all members in residence at the Jedi Temple during the fall of the Republic, including children. As Emperor, he led his armies in brutal subjugation of all those who resisted Imperial rule, exterminating no less than three sentient species during his wars of conquest. Given that his myriad crimes are public knowledge, I hardly need to elaborate further."

She paused for a long moment, looking down at Anakin. Both were equally expressionless as their eyes met.

Finally Padmé broke eye contact and continued, looking around the rotunda as she spoke. "But what must also be considered are his acts of heroism, which, despite his crimes, cannot be described in any other way. For over twenty years, he and the troops under his command fought the Yuuzhan Vong, kept them outside the borders of the Republic and spared us the worst of their horrors. When the Yuuzhan Vong finally broke through Vanguard Fleet's lines and began their invasion of the Republic, he was instrumental in organizing our defense. Along with the Jedi and the Republic military, Vanguard Fleet forces kept the fighting confined to the sparsely populated outer sectors.

"Further, he and his forces were also instrumental in defending against the forces amassed by the Burned cult. At great personal risk, he was among those who fought the cult leader, ultimately defeating Pyrron himself and sparing the galaxy untold devastation."

Padmé paused for a moment. "This war was destructive and costly, but it would have been much, much worse without him. That much cannot be argued."

Again she paused, her expression still placid, neither forgiving nor condemnatory. "In light of these mitigating factors," she continued, "it is therefore my decision that Anakin Skywalker be pardoned from prosecution. But not-"

As angry murmurs began among some of the Senators and those observing, Padmé held up her hand for silence, and after a moment, received it.

"But not from penance," she went on, lowering her hand again. "Despite his heroism, he still inflicted great harm upon this galaxy and its people during his reign as Emperor, effects of which are still being felt today. This cannot go unanswered."

She stood up straighter and looked down at him. "Anakin Skywalker, your pardon will be granted only if you accept the following conditions: You will surrender all elements of Vanguard Fleet still under your command to Republic High Command, including all ships and materiel. You will never again hold any public office or independently command any military force. You will devote the remainder of your natural life to healing the wounds of war and helping to secure peace, conditions of which shall be decided by the Jedi Council, to whose authority you shall henceforth be subject. Do you accept these conditions?"

He answered clearly and calmly, without hesitation: "I do."

Padmé nodded once. "Then I hereby formally grant your pardon." She stepped back, turned to the small pedestal beside her where a document was plainly visible, and signed it.

The rotunda was silent for several long seconds. Finally, someone began to clap, and was swiftly joined by others. Along with the rest of her family, Ami got to her feet and joined in. Many in the audience visibly refused to applaud, some even going so far as to cross their arms, but these were a distinct minority.

Ami's grandfather turned to look back at his family and smiled.

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><p>Author's Note: An epilogue follows. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	42. Epilogue

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Silver moonlight filtered through the branches of the forest grove near the Jedi Temple, dappling the soft green grass of the circular meadow with spots of light, as if in imitation of the star-flecked night sky above.

Luke Skywalker stood in the center of the meadow, his hood raised and his lightsaber in his hand. Arranged in a loose circle around the edge of the meadow were many other Jedi, the hoods of their robes also raised and their lightsabers held loosely in their hands. Beside Luke, at his right, stood Leia, her white robes making her stand out among the others here, who wore mostly dark colors.

A meter in front of them knelt Jacen, dressed once again in earthy brown and forest green robes. His hood was drawn back, his hands were folded in his lap, and his lightsaber sat on the ground just in front of his knees.

"The Force has brought us here," Luke said as he looked around the circle of Jedi and those beyond it. "Masters of the Council, friends and family of Jacen Solo. He has demonstrated his command of the Force and his devotion to it."

"He has passed the greatest test a Jedi can face," said Leia. "He has seen the Dark Side, but he has turned away from it, and rejected its influence. Like all of us, he has emerged from this recent conflict with his share of scars, not all of them physical, but like all of us, he has devoted himself to defending this galaxy, to protecting its people from darkness, disorder and chaos in all their forms."

Luke ignited his emerald-green lightsaber and held the tip of the glowing blade just above Jacen's right shoulder. "I, Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master of Jacen Solo, proclaim his apprenticeship to me finished." He looked down into his nephew's eyes. "May the Force be with you."

Leia ignited her sapphire-blue lightsaber and held its tip just above Jacen's left shoulder. "I, Leia Organa Solo, Master of the Jedi Order, name Jacen Solo a full Jedi Knight, protector and defender of the Republic, guardian of peace and justice in the galaxy." She looked down into her son's eyes. "May the Force be with you."

The rest of the Jedi in the circle ignited their blades as one and held them out at an angle, bathing the grove in a rainbow of multicolored light. Luke's eye was drawn to the tall figure of his father, who stood as part of the circle with his own sky-blue blade. Though Anakin's face was shadowed by his hood, Luke could still see an approving smile.

"May the Force be with you," those in the circle said in unison.

Luke and Leia raised their blades upright, and Jacen picked up his lightsaber and stood. He silently looked around the circle at those gathered in the grove, briefly meeting their eyes as he turned. Jacen's brother and sister stood at the entrance to the grove, and as he turned to face them, Jaina and Anakin stepped aside, their gleaming blades forming an arch over the beginning of the path.

Still silent, Jacen walked between his siblings out of the grove, passing quickly out of sight down the forest path.

Luke lowered his lightsaber and closed it down, and the other Jedi did the same, stepping out of the circle to signify the end of the ceremony. The others lowered their hoods and mingled with the other observers throughout the meadow, shifting into smaller groups.

A few paces away, Corran smiled and quietly said something to Malysa, to which she shrugged. Her reply made Tionne laugh lightly, the rich, musical sound blending with the whispering of the gentle breeze through the leaves overhead. Next to them, Ami and Tahiri excitedly recounted their separate adventures to one another. Luke's daughter occasionally turned to Qeris for confirmation, who mostly limited her responses to a slight nod, smiling at their exuberance.

Jenn and Revan stood nearby, quietly conversing. Luke walked over to them, waiting at a polite distance until they finished.

Revan looked up first. "Ah, Master Skywalker," he said with a friendly smile. "We were just about to come speak to you."

"Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do now?" Luke asked.

Revan gave him a wryly amused smile. "Oddly enough, the same thing I left to do after the end of the last war I fought: I'm going to go find the remnants of the Sith, wherever they're hiding, and ensure they never threaten the Republic again."

Jenn gestured to her tall friend. "I'm going with him."

"You're not leaving right away, are you?" Jaina asked as she approached.

"No, we'll stay for a while and help rebuild," Revan replied. "But if there are more Sith out there, I don't want to give them too long to gather their strength."

"You're welcome to come with us if you like," Jenn said.

Jaina nodded once. "I may take you up on that," she said. "I need some time away… to think about things," she said quietly.

Jenn put her hand on the young woman's shoulder. "No one ever really wins a war," she said. "You just survive them." She leaned slightly closer, with an encouraging smile. "But for now, we've all earned a bit of breathing room, so…"

"Keep breathing," Ami finished for her, stepping up to her cousin's other side. She smiled, and after a moment, Jaina smiled back.

Luke looked around at the group gathered in the grove. They had all done this, he thought, had all brought about this peace. They had all paid for it dearly, had _earned_ this peace with their sweat, blood and scars. They had earned their breathing room, and Luke for one was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

He noticed Mara walking at a brisk pace, not quite a jog, for the path leading out of the grove. "Where are you off to?" he asked her.

"Ben and Anakin said something about this celebration needing fireworks," she said, her expression a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "I'm just going to go… keep an eye on things."

Luke chuckled as he watched his wife walk away, then changed his mind and started walking himself. "Hang on a minute," he called after her. "I'll come with you."

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><p>This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker, right now:<p>

For the first time in a long time, perhaps even for the first time in your life, you are happy. _Truly_ happy.

You are here among the people who matter most to you, the family you started. Until now, you had been outside, separate from their unity, merely watching as they drew themselves together without you, but now you can count yourself among them. Now the family is complete.

Their futures are open, you think as you look at your children with their families. Your grandchildren, through your efforts as well as their own, now have the chance to build their own families in peace.

You look over as Jacen walks back into the grove, and watch him for a few moments as he rejoins the group, heading for where his parents stand with Qeris. Of all of them, he came closest to following your path, to repeating your mistakes, but in the end he succeeded where you failed, and remained on solid ground.

His example, along with the others, even helped to inspire you to finally reject the darkness yourself. It's an odd reversal of the usual way of things, but still welcome.

You notice Qeris take Jacen's hand as he stops beside her, and the look they share makes you smile. Almost by reflex, you look over at Padmé where she stands nearby.

She returns your gaze, and there is even genuine warmth in her smile, but it is not the same as it once was. The spark, the light that was once in her eyes whenever she looked at you is gone, perhaps forever. Some things, once broken, cannot be restored to what they once were.

This saddens you, but you accept it. It's another consequence of the things you've done. You cannot ignore the past; you can only accept it, learn its lessons, and use them to plot the best course for the future.

Your own future is still unknown to you, but rather than provoking fear as it once did, this brings an odd sort of comfort; rather than a feeling of inevitability, of darkness hanging over you, you feel that you are finally in control. What happens next is completely up to you.

The next months and years will not be easy, and you know difficulties and hardship are still ahead. True, you are back on the right path, but now the real challenge begins: having strayed from it before, you must now keep yourself on the solid ground, to stay away from the mire which will consume you forever if you ever step into it again.

Fireworks burst in an explosion of color and sound, high above the forest canopy. A feeling of happiness and contentment radiates from those gathered here, and you let it enfold you, let yourself contribute to it.

Much has happened to you, and your journey is not over yet, but you and your family are all safe and together, and that is good enough for now.

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><p><strong>-\-**  
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><p>Final Author's Notes and Acknowledgments:<p>

*End Title Theme*

No joke; that's what I'm listening to as I write these last notes today. I happened to be listening to the '_A New Hope_' soundtrack as I wrote the first draft of this epilogue all the way back in June, and by a fun coincidence, the End Title theme happened to start playing just as I wrote the final words of the story. I'll admit to only sort of doing that on purpose. ;P

First off, I want to once again thank my beta reader hairyhen for his truly invaluable help with this story. Aside from the usual beta-reader things like catching my typos and warning me I'm using some people's full names and titles a little too often, ("No can has 'Darth'!" ;P ) he's also provided an excellent sounding board for my craziness, only some of which had to do with this story. ;) Time and again, our discussions helped me arrange and cement my ideas, and his suggestions for improvement have always helped my work to be its best. Major, major, major thanks, my friend.

Next, I want to thank John Williams for writing the music for Star Wars. Music is an integral part of my writing process, and though I listened to many other things as well, the movie soundtracks were in heavy rotation during all phases of working on this story. My goal was to keep this story consistent with the 'feel' of Star Wars, and I hope I succeeded.

Thanks also goes to the many creative minds whose work in the Star Wars universe has influenced my own definitely-not-official tale: Timothy Zahn, always my favorite Star Wars writer and one of my favorite writers in general. Matthew Stover, whose interesting characteristic writing style was a clear influence on several key scenes in this series. Michael A. Stackpole, who gave us Corran Horn, my personal favorite non-Skywalker Jedi of this era. Drew Karpyshyn and the others at BioWare for the first '_KotOR',_ and Chris Avellone and the others at Obsidian for the sequel, '_The Sith Lords_', which, even though released unfinished, is still my favorite of the two. John Ostrander and Jan Duursema of the '_Legacy_' comic series, several concepts of which I borrowed for this AU and pushed back in time a hundred years. And of course, George Lucas, for originally building such a great sandbox to play in. Han still shot first, though.

By the way, though I'm hoping for the best, if J.J. screws up '_Episode VII', _I'm going to call him 'Jar Jar Abrams' for the rest of my life. I've ignored parts of the 'official' canon before, and it's not like I can't do it again.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you reading this. Your comments over the past two years have given me boosts of encouragement which I really needed at times. I try to reply to as many reviews as I can between epic duels with Darth Real Life for my free time, but in case I missed any, please know that I really appreciate your honest feedback on my work. I am by no means a professional writer - merely a fan - but I view this and my other fanfic as steps on the path there. Maybe one day I'll get to write a 'real' Star Wars story.

I'll leave you with this: I intended for this story to be the grand, epic finale to my '_One Missed Strike_' series, but even as I wrote the last few chapters early this year, I kept getting the nagging feeling that I wasn't quite done, that there were yet other adventures to be had in this AU beyond what I had planned. So, although I've tried my best to make this a satisfying conclusion, I have left a few dangling plot threads here and there, should I ever wish to return. Though I'm not making serious plans right now, I do have a collection of ideas and concepts for further stories in this universe, including a potential AU of this AU in which Revan and Jenn stay in their own time and fight the Sith then. Would you be interested in seeing more of this series?

In the meantime, I've been feeling the urge to broaden my horizons a bit and write in some other fandoms for a while. I'm working on a couple of _'Terminator_' fics right now, if any of you would be interested in those. In any case, as usual, until next time, thanks for reading!

Davin Sunrider


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